Beginning Sparks
by Goldenfeather88
Summary: Rusty has always been different. With visions that speak of death, he is hated and feared by most other cats. However, he has found a family... He has a choice to make... Which group does he join?
1. The Sparks of Hope

**Prologue- The Sparks of Hope**

_"__This isn't right! When did the spirits of all of my children become so corrupt to try and control lives? What have I done wrong?"_

A small, silver tabby molly sat up in the shadows of a tree, looking down at the group below. Her fluffy fur was spiked up in anger as her tail flicked back and forth. She was careful to not knock down any of the leaves as she didn't want any of the cats below to notice her.

_"__While the clan cats seem to respect me," _she thought bitterly. _"I don't know what they will do if they find out if I am spying on them… After all, to the living cats, I am just the stars that fill the night's sky… Not one cat that helped create their resting place! In fact, they have forgotten much more…"_

"So… It is agreed then?" a ginger tom stated, interrupting her internal rant. "We will send the sign to Spottedleaf."

"Fire alone will save the clan," a silvery-gray tom muttered. "At least there is hope for ThunderClan… But… Shouldn't we tell the other clans? Or at least give them a warning?"

"Why should we give anything to the other clans?" growled a dark brown tom as he clawed at the dirt. "It is not like they have done anything for us. In fact, they should be…"

"My concern is the fact that the fire is a cat of kittypet blood," butted in a speckled gray tom, his blue eyes wide. "And we know how the clans feel about kittypets. How in the world are we going to get the clans to accept them?"

"I don't see why we need a kittypet," hissed the dark brown tom. "We have many wonderful upcoming apprentices and kits that could be the fire…"

_"__Oakstar…" _the hidden molly reflected with anger. _"You mousebrain! You have no right to talk! You forced a mother with young kits out of the clan and your clan just let them drown which is against the very code that you all hold dear… If I still had control over the judgement process, I would have sent you to the Dark Forest to reflect on your crime! You may have been suffering, but there was no reason to punish those kits! They were innocent!"_

"Well, why should the clans accept the kittypet?" mewed a black tom. "At least… Until the kittypet in question can prove themselves to them."

"What do you mean, Ravenwing?" questioned the silvery tom. "If the cat in question is the one that will save ThunderClan, then shouldn't we be supporting them?"

"Well, if this kittypet wants to be a 'true-blood' warrior," Oakstar sneered. "Then Ravenwing is correct. Then, after this kittypet runs away like the piece of foxdung that they are, we can pick out a true warrior to save ThunderClan."

"Oakstar, have a little faith in StarClan's prophecies!" laughed the ginger tom. "Do you think that StarClan would pick someone that was just any cat?"

"That being said," Ravenwing stated. "We shouldn't do anything that would be too kind to the cat. Also, like Oakstar stated before, we shouldn't tell everyone… After all, we don't know how those that will strike…"

"Well, if the kittypet dies, then they were not ready," mewed Oakstar, putting his nose in the air. "And that is not our problem! Their weak kittypet blood would have proved his weakness."

"That doesn't mean that we can't help him," pointed out the silvery tom. "We do have the power to send signs to help. After all, how can we know that the kittypet will follow StarClan's will?"

"Then it is agreed?" answered pale cream, fawn, and white molly. "We will not be telling any of the other clans… And we will send the sign to Spottedleaf, who will deliver the message to Bluestar. Bluestar will find the 'fire' and bring them into the clan… Then we will send dreams to them to help guide them on the correct plan. And if… Should they fail, we will try to find someone else that could replace them."

As every cat in the group nodded, Oakstar more slowly than the other, the silver tabby molly had to keep herself from shouting out in anger.

_"__How dare they?" _she mentally snarled. _"They should know better than that! Kittypets are not weak… In fact, they can fight just as well as any pure-blooded warriors. While family is important… That much I can understand… But family is not just blood… And blood alone can certainly cause problems… And what was that about 'guiding' this 'chosen' cat? That sounds like you are trying to control someone's life."_

She bit her tongue as she remembered some of the cats that had their lives destroyed by StarClan. Snowfur was hit by a twoleg car in order to push Bluestar down her leadership path. Mosskit's death was StarClan's punishment for Bluestar loving Oakstar and breaking the code, only not killing Mistyfoot and Stonefur because that would send her into a depression that she would never recover from. Many of the medicine cats in every clan were forced into their role, especially if that happened to be Marked. There were several warriors that were taken out because they were a threat to the cat 'destined' to be the next deputy. The four remaining clans failed to save the fifth clan, helping drive them out.

_"__And they said it was because of the number of trees at Fourtrees!" _she thought angrily. _"Why should the number of trees have to do with anything? And adding to the horror, you have taunted them with the fact that they were going to lose their territory! For a group that claims to value each member of the clan and claims to follow their Warrior Code, they sure don't have a problem breaking their own rules… Hypocrites the whole lot of them! In some ways, even the Worshipper of the Golden Cat has more honor than they and many of them have been brainwashed! I really hate to say it but… It might be time to…"_

Cutting her thoughts short and peeking down to see that the group of ThunderClan cats had finished talking and were leaving, the molly quickly climbed down the tree, landing on the side that was facing away from the group. Then, she quietly moved, making sure that she evaded the others. She had to stop and hide in the bushes because Oakstar and Ravenwing were heading in her direction, praying for them to not to notice her.

"I don't agree with this," growled Oakstar. "How in the world can a kittypet save ThunderClan? Whatever… We need a plan when this goes wrong. Maybe a strong, pure-blooded kit will be born that could be the cat that we need…"

"I don't agree with this either," Ravenwing agreed. "After all, there is no way that a kittypet can understand the way of a warrior… But we have to have faith in StarClan… They have never had led us wrong before…"

"I still don't understand what went wrong with Pinestar," Oakstar hissed out. "I mean… I raised him to be the best that he could be… To be the leader that Birchface could never because of what Appledusk did! And yet… He failed ThunderClan… And he failed me, to become a kittypet."

_"__Now that is interesting!" _the molly thought. _"They didn't know about Pinestar's vision? That someone told him to kill Tigerclaw as a kit. That's… not good. That means that something else is going wrong… StarClan was never meant to have this type of power… It is causing a power imbalance within the lands of the dead… I need to get back over to the Dark Forest and speak to my littermates… If there are visions that are not coming from StarClan, then… No. Let's not think about that. That is not my problem!"_

"Hey…." Ravenwing suddenly stated, sniffing the air. "Oakstar… Do you smell anyone here?"

The molly frowned and began to see if there was a way out without showing herself. The last thing she wanted at this time was for these cats to start worshipping her paws.

_"__Then again," _she added to herself angrily. _"With how these newest spirits have been acting, I would be too surprised if these cats have forgotten what I helped create…They have already what me and my littermates have done, denying that they had ever lived! And that is despite the fact that most of them did have children who then in turn created their own groups!"_

Nerves filled her body as the black tom came closer and closer. However, right as Ravenwing narrowed his eyes and had began to move towards her, Oakstar just snorted.

"Ravenwing, I wouldn't worry about it," Oakstar ordered, his tail held high. "It is most likely someone that isn't very important. And should this cat tell anyone what happened here, we have the right to banish them to the Dark Forest for crimes against StarClan. After all, there are no cat that can stand against the might of the Council."

_"__Oh… You are so dead when I get ahold of you!" _she mentally snarled. _"There is no way to kill me out of StarClan: I helped create the connection between the living and the dead! Without me and my littermates, the spirits of the dead would just be ghosts, unable to talk to the living, haunting where you died! Just like all of the other cats out there! In fact… The opposite is true: my littermates and I have the power to banish cats from any of our descendants 'dead worlds.' Do not think that you or this Council are better than everyone else!"_

"Even so, it would be better if we knew who was spying on us!" Ravenwing countered. "That way, we do not end up harming an innocent. It would be better if we…"

"Let it go," Oakstar ordered again. "I want to get back to Birchface…"

"Your perfect son," groaned Ravenwing, backing off. "The son that was destined to be the next leader of ThunderClan…"

"I don't see why," Oakstar said, puffed up in pride. "Strong, loyal, brave, willing to do anything to protect ThunderClan… Adding onto the fact that he was a good mentor to Flowerpaw at the time and was Star-Blessed! If only he hadn't drowned… If only he had a chance to produce kits: pure blooded, strong ThunderClan warriors! I just don't understand why he feels the need to look after that traitor's remaining kit!"

"Oh… I see," Ravenwing mewed. "That is worrisome… Those kits were born from lies… They have no place in StarClan… Their mother was a murderer… Their father was a murderer…"

"Appledusk murdered my almost prefect son!" Oakstar hissed out, tail lashing. "And took down his noble apprentice with him… If only I could get my claws into him!"

"I can understand your anger Oakstar," Ravenwing stated. "But the rest of StarClan made their choice, and we have to follow it."

"Or we are chased out of StarClan," Oakstar finished. "As we are all clan cats, we need to stay together or our enemies in the Dark Forest will overrun us… And we have other enemies as well…"

_"__And that is your own fault!" _the molly snapped. _"StarClan has been ruining the lives of spirits for many years! Your stupid leadership has been sending out patrols… To some of the different afterlives… The Honor Guard, the Rainbow Bridge, The Worshippers' Rest, the Eternal Wander… Even the rogues and loners that stay on the earth's surface are not safe… StarClan has even destroyed the resting place for the Judgement… While we were able to find a way to save most of the spirits, the cats of the Judgement… And my brother, Anubis… Taken away, imprisoned… Someday, we will find you and free you… And then… We will take action against StarClan…"_

"Well…" mewed Ravenwing, interrupting Oakstar's rant about the many 'enemies' of the clans. "At least it is only one half-clan kit and not three of them!"

"I hope that those kits are dead!" Oakstar growled. "After what Mapleshade did… Lying to my clan about the father of her kits … Murdering you, my loyal medicine cat, and my dear honorable daughter… The only thing that she did right was take out Appledusk… But even that cannot erase her sins… Sending her to the Dark Forest is not enough of a punishment. She needs to feel the pain that I felt…"

"But we can't do anything to Larchkit," mewed Ravenwing. "One, Birchface would certainly start to ask questions. Two, if a cat is accepted into StarClan as ruled by the Council, there is nothing that anyone can do…. Except for one case."

"Yes… If we cannot find enough spirits to create the lives we give the leader," Oakstar continued on. "Then we can use one of the spirits of the warriors, apprentices, or…. A little half-blooded kit."

_"__What? You can't be serious!"_ the silver molly thought, a mixture of horror and fury burning her blood. _"You want to use an innocent kit's spirit to help create one of the lives that you gift to the leaders of your clans? That is not only insane… But there is no way that anyone in their right mind would let that happen! Do you clan cats even follow your own rules? Why would you go after kits that have died before they could grow up! You do not punish the kits for the sins of their parents! Go after Mapleshade if you are so upset! However… While her actions were wrong, it is not like she doesn't have a reason to try and kill you! You forced her into a situation where she had to escape, or her kits would be killed. StarClan wanted those poor, innocent kits dead! Slenderman will not be pleased to hear this…"_

"Whatever, let's go," ordered Oakstar. "I don't want to remain here for any longer… We do not need the other clans learning about this meeting…"

"On that, we can agree on," added Ravenwing. "There is no telling what the other leaders and medicine cats might do if they heard about this prophecy…"

"And the possible cat that might be listening in," Oakstar continued on, tail held high. "Then they will face the full wrath from our members from the StarClan Council. We will find them and hunt them down… Should we hear any news get out."

_"__Then maybe the other three clans need to know this information,"_ the silver tabby molly stated with a dark grin on her face. _"A sign to the other clan's medicine cats… After all… While RiverClan is stable for the moment under the rule of Crookedstar… Seriously StarClan, you were very lucky that Crookedstar ended up being a good-natured cat! That could have gone bad very quickly with anyone that had a weaker soul! Adding onto that… Both ShadowClan and WindClan are in serious trouble… ShadowClan is under the control of a kit-murderer and thief… And WindClan has been chased out of their own territory… And StarClan has done nothing about it! For all their talk about 'choosing' the 'best' path, they sure did not stop Brokenstar's rise!"_

Her fur rose as she noticed that Ravenwing hadn't given up on finding out who was listening to the ThunderClan meeting. Oakstar grumbled but failed to stop the tom. However, just as Ravenwing was a few steps away from the bush, the silver molly felt rear end begin to fall. Peeking over her shoulder, the molly saw the black void that was threating to swallow her whole. She had to fight against her instinct to try and save herself, keeping her claws unsheathed. She was safe despite the fear that pulsed through her blood.

She relaxed her body and fell, entering the shadows. Hitting ground, she glanced up to see the portal quickly closing, rapidly cutting out the light from the stars. Then, as Ravenwing screamed out in anger, the portal closed.

_"__What was that about, Zanth?"_ spoke a voice in her head. _"Did you do something to him? Do I need to find him and drag him to the Dark Forest?"_

The silver molly turned to face the figure coming out of the shadows. Pale green mushrooms glowed around him, tail flicking as his black and white pelt was stained green in the faint light. However, that same light outlined the features of his face… Or the lack of features. The tom had no nose, no eyes, and no mouth. He had no face.

"Slenderman!" purred the molly, Zanth, showing no fear as she ran up to the taller tom and touched her nose where his would have been. "Good to see you and thanks for the save, little brother! I almost got caught while listening into a secret meeting!"

_"__A secret meeting, you say?"_ replied the tom. _"So… They are trying to ruin someone's life again, little sister?"_

"Yes…" answered Zanth. "But this time… It is even worse than normal… And… That was not all that I heard."

_"__What Ravenwing and Oakstar were saying about Mapleshade's three kits," _she added within her head. _"That they wanted to us their spirits to help create a life… I'm glad that we got two of the kits out of there. While I am sad we couldn't bring both Petalkit and Patchkit back to life, Patchkit seems happily enough with his new role… And he has a chance to be reborn…"_

_"__Zanth, are you okay?" _Slenderman questioned. _"Do I need to sneak into StarClan?"_

"Not at the moment," Zanth stated. "We need to get to the others… And thank you for getting out of that situation."

_"__It is not problem Zanth," _Slenderman responded beginning to move. _"We are family… And we must stay together… After all, all of us are Marked are hunted by many normal cats… And we need to try and help as many of our Marked descendants as we can…" _

"I know," mewed Zanth as she followed him, her fur getting caught in the leafless branches of the bushes. "Many of the normal warriors and apprentices are innocent and don't know what their leaders are doing… It is this StarClan Council that is the problem!"

"I see…" muttered Slenderman, using his tail to help push branches out of the way. "It is always the cats that have power in their claws that cause problems. And this Council… Do you know who is on it?"

"From what I could tell," Zanth told her brother. "The Council seems to be made up of former leaders and medicine cats… Or that is I noticed. However, even when they are together… There are four divisions that cause problems… One for each clan…"

Both cats stop for a moment, listening to the darkness around them. A faint cry echoed out for a second, then silence. Not even the songs of nature could reach them in this shadowy place.

_"__I wish that I had been around more to stop this Council from being created," _Zanth mentally sighed, continuing to follow Slenderman. _"Then they would have not gotten away with controlling others like this… They would have found a different way to give out lives in we had stepped in… They would have not been able to attack and take Anubis away… But it was my fault… I let this happen because I thought that I could trust StarClan… And my kits to bring peace to others! To be a place where the Marked could survive… Instead, it seems like the clans have lost the history of the Marked! Believing that the Marked are 'blessings from StarClan' and forcing many of them into the medicine cat role. In fact, many of the leaders are paw-picked from birth, with their families and futures paying the price… That makes me so angry!"_

"Zanth! Slenderman!" called out a soft voice. "You're here!"

Zanth looked up to see a large cave with several other cats sitting outside. A golden molly waved her tail at the two, trying to keep herself from leaping up and down on the spot. Three other cats stood, nodding at both Zanth and Slenderman. Returning their nods, Zanth felt her heart fill with love for her littermates. However, that love also opened the feeling of lost at her missing brother.

_"__Sweet Clover," _she began to reflex on each of her littermates. _"Brave Lancelot. Headstrong Fox. Protective Slenderman. And, of course, serious Anubis. Each of us were born with gifts basically unknown to cats… While Slenderman had died soon after birth, the rest of us had to learn to grow up quickly… Or die. After our own mother abandoned us as quickly as she could, that fucking moron, we quickly found ourselves alone… Very few cats would help us… Once we showed our powers, others hated us… They wanted up dead… But we survived! Then, that was when I found out about Slenderman… Called Faceless at the time… I was happy yet sad to learn about a fallen brother… So I ended up giving him a sort of half-life, where he could appear and disappear from the living sight at will… Though that caused some problems with his… Loss…"_

"Zanth? Are you okay?"

Zanth took a deep breath and looked up at the golden molly, who had a worried face. She gave her a sad smile.

"Sorry to worry you, Clover," Zanth mewed. "I was just thinking about the past… When we were alive… Or mostly alive…"

_"__Zanth…"_ Slenderman stated with a hint of amusement. _"You are not going to insult me! I am better off the way that I am… I was never going to have a living life because… You know, the lack of face!"_

"We would have like to know you for longer, little brother," answered a golden brown tabby tom. "You are family… And nothing can change that!"

"Even if you get murder-happy with those that hurt kits," teased Clover, her green eyes bright with merriment. "But… It is not like they don't deserve that punishment…"

"At least his 'kids' didn't form a crazy cat cult!" ribbed the large, muscular dark-russet molly, shouldering the golden molly in a friendly way. "The Nightmares don't try to hide what they truly are… They either rise above their revenge or become spiritual monsters…"

"Hey Fox! That is not my fault!" snapped Clover, fur fluffing up. "How was I supposed to know how my kin would take the gifts that we gave them and use them to harm everyone around them? That they would corrupt my memory and wishes… That they ended up worshipping the statue that almost landed on me!"

"I understand that Clover," Fox stated quickly. "I'm not blaming you… We cannot control the actions of others…"

"Which is why we are here now," spoke the golden brown tabby tom again. "To see if we can learn about our kin… And make a plan of attack to get Anubis back!"

"Which is why I have been going into StarClan," answered Zanth, turning towards the tom. "And listening in on as many groups as I can… To see if I can find out where they are keeping our brother."

"And have you found out anything yet?" questioned Clover, tone worried. "The sooner we can free him, the sooner we can…"

"No, I have found nothing yet," sighed Zanth, shoulders dropping with her grief. "I even looked around the place where the clans store the lives that are given to each of the leaders… As I thought that was the most likely place he could be…"

"Is there anywhere else that you can think of?" asked Fox, digging her claws into the ground. "That they could hide him?"

"There is just one place I could think of," spoke the final cat, who had been just sitting nearby. "A place that is highly guarded at all times… No one is allowed there without permission. The Star Pool…"

_"__The Star Pool," _mused Zanth as she pictured the place in her head. _"Patches has a point… It is the place that the medicine cats go to see the future… Not even the leaders are allowed in there… It would be a perfect place to hide him…"_

_"__Thank you, Patches," _Slenderman spoke, nodding his head to the tortoiseshell tom. _"So we know where we need to strike… But…"_

"But what?" questioned Lancelot. "Is there something else?"

"Let's go inside the cave," Zanth answered. "There is something else that I learned… I don't want anyone besides us to hear this…"

_"__Understood," _Slenderman replied. _"I will set up the illusions so none of the prisoners here can find us…"_

"Do I need to leave?" the tortoiseshell tom inquired. "I could go and check on the border with StarClan…"

"No, he can stay," stated Fox strongly before Slenderman could reply. "We can use all the help that we can get, and… You're one of our brother's created Nightmares, correct?"

"Yes…" the tom muttered, looking down at his paws with his strange green eyes and black sclerae. "I… I… wanted…"

"Then you are family!" declared Clover. "And family stays together!"

Zanth noticed that the tom was uncomfortable with the attention and seemed happy when most of the group turned to enter the cave. She decided not to bring that fact at this moment, instead musing about the tom as she followed the rest.

_"__Patchkit or Patches as he is called now," _Zanth thought, remembering what she knew about him. _"Son of Mapleshade and Appledusk… Adopted son of Birchface and maybe Slenderman at this point. Brother to both Larchkit, who stayed with StarClan, and Petal, the kit that I gave one of Doestar's lives to. One of Slenderman's Nightmares that he created on purpose, unlike before… He joined Slenderman because he was getting picked on for both his half-clan blood and the fact that his mother was a murderer… Someone that was sent to the Dark Forest. As far as I concerned, Patches is nothing like his mother… He had his chance for revenge… And he failed to take it! I don't know a better cat for rebirth than Patches!"_

Shaking her head, Zanth found herself in the cave, which was bigger than what it looked from the outside. Clover, Fox, and Lancelot stand down around a small pool that was in the middle of the floor. Patches took up a position by the entrance, watching.

"So… What is the matter now?" asked Clover. "What is StarClan doing now?"

"Let's wait until Slenderman joins us," Zanth mewed as she joined the others around the pool. "Then I can explain everything, and we can all make a plan together…"

"A plan?" questioned Lancelot, narrowing his red eyes. "This must be serious… Have they been making murderers leaders again?"

_"__Speaking of murderers," _Slenderman mentally hissed out to everyone in the cave as he entered and joined the others after nodding to Patches. _"Once Brokenstar dies… He is going to pay for his crimes… He has killed too many young lives! That cats deserves to have everything taken from him! Now… Zanth… What have you learned while in StarClan's territory? It seemed like you were in a spot of trouble when I teleported you here…"_

"You were late, and we were getting worry about you," Clover added on, flicking her ear. "We were afraid that something had happened to you…"

"We were very relieved to see you unharmed," Fox muttered. "Despite the fact that you are the only one remembered in the clan's history, I don't know how they would respond to your actions… Since they are willing to throw anyone that doesn't follow their plans out of 'their territory!' They are such hypocrites!"

"Well… You are all about to be furious!" began Zanth, staring down at the dark waters in the pool. "I was on my way back after checking out the place where the clans kept the lives when I found many of the former ThunderClan leaders and medicine cats were gathering… In an area that is away from most other cats…"

"I already don't like this…" whispered Lancelot to Fox. "When leaders and medicine cats get together, it can't mean anything good…"

"I quickly got up high in a tree as no clan cat seems to think about looking up," Zanth continued on. "And listened in… I hated what I heard! ThunderClan has gotten a new prophecy… 'Fire along shall save the clan…' But from what I heard; the chosen cat is a kittypet!"

"What? Are you serious?" yelled Lancelot. "They want to use a kittypet!"

"But they hate all other cats besides themselves!" Fox joined in, standing up in her fury. "How on the earth do they think that is going to work? Are they planning to torture this cat?"

"And you stated that it was a meeting of only ThunderClan cats!" added in Clover, looking sad. "Are they just forgetting the problems of the other clans? How do they know that the prophecy is for ThunderClan?"

_"__They already try to control their own cats!" _snapped Slenderman. _"What right do they have to try and bring an innocent cat in?"_

"And that is not all," Zanth stated. "The ThunderClan cats want to keep the prophecy away from the other clans… To the point that I was threatened, even though they had no idea who I really was…"

"So they want to keep it a secret, do they?" purred Fox with a smile beginning to form on her face. "Then… Why don't we turn it against them?"

"How?" questioned both Zanth and Lancelot at the same time.

"Maybe we can… spread some rumors," continued Fox. "We can use one of Slenderman's illusions to make us look like one of the StarClan's cats… Then… We can turn the clans against each other!"

"And we can also try to get some of the common warriors on our side!" added Clover with excitement. "Like the ones that were taken out because they also wanted to be leader or the Marked that were forced to become medicine cats… Even when they wanted to be warriors!"

"I can also help out," mewed Patches. "Slenderman can make me look like my kit self, and I can tell some of the other kits… I just…"

_"__Birchface and Larchkit will be saved," _Slenderman quickly spoke, turning toward him. _"I don't go after kits… And Birchface has proven as someone that is willing to do the right thing, no matter what."_

"So the plan is to get some rumors started, hoping to incite a rebellion between the clans," stated Lancelot. "That is… okay… But is there anything else we can do?"

"Let's find out who is the 'chosen one' is," Zanth said. "That way… We can help them make their own choice… The dead shouldn't control the fates of the living… It is their world now!"

* * *

**ThunderClan Allegiances**

_Leader: _Bluestar- Pale blue gray molly with icy blue eyes.

_Deputy: _Redtail- Dark tortoiseshell tom with a bushy red tail and amber eyes.

Apprentice: Dustpaw

_Medicine cat: _Spottedleaf- Dark tortoiseshell and white molly with a dappled coat and amber eyes.

_Warriors: _Lionheart-Pale golden tabby tom with green eyes.

Apprentice: Graypaw

Tigerclaw- Dark brown tabby tom with pale amber eyes.

Apprentice: Ravenpaw

Whitestorm- Snowy white tom with yellow eyes.

Apprentice: Sandpaw

Darkstripe- Dark gray tabby tom with black stripes and yellow eyes.

Longtail- Pale brown tabby tom with black stripes and blue eyes.

Runningwind- Light brown tabby tom with green eyes.

Mousefur- Dusky brown molly with amber eyes.

Willowpelt- Very pale silver gray molly with deep blue eyes.

Hollowtail- Dark gray tom with large white patches and amber eyes.

Bitterclaw- Blue gray molly with a paler underbelly and amber eyes.

Dawnpatch- Dilute molly with pale amber eyes.

Birdtail- Dark ginger tabby molly with amber eyes.

Dogfang- Gray tabby tom with amber eyes.

_Apprentices:_ Dustpaw- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Ravenpaw- Black tom with a tiny white dash on his chest and green eyes.

Sandpaw- Pale ginger molly with pale leaf-green eyes.

Graypaw- Silver gray tom with a dark stripe running down his back and yellow eyes.

_Queens and Kits:_ Frostfur- Snow molly with dark sky blue eyes. (Mother to Lionheart's kits)

Cinderkit- Smokey dark gray molly with blue eyes.

Brackenkit- Golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Thornkit- Golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Brightkit- White and ginger molly with green eyes.

Goldenflower- Pale ginger tabby molly with yellow eyes. (Mother to Patchfoot's kit)

Swiftkit- Black and white tom with pale amber eyes.

Brindleface- Pale gray tabby molly with darker flecks and green eyes. (Expecting Redtail's kits)

Speckletail- Pale golden tabby molly with amber eyes. (Expecting kits, unknown father)

_Elders: _Halftail- Dark brown tabby tom with half of his tail and yellow eyes.

Smallear- Gray tom with small ears and amber eyes.

Patchpelt- Black and white tom with amber eyes.

One-eye- Pale gray molly with one missing eye and one amber eye.

Dappletail- Dappled tortoiseshell and white molly with hazel eyes.

Rosetail- Gray tabby molly with a pinkish-orange tail and amber eyes.


	2. The Knightly Family

**Chapter 1: The Knightly Family**

_"__No… No! Please don't die! I don't want to watch you die! Please stop!"_

A small ginger tom opened his eyes, gasping out as he tried to calm down his heartbeat. His teeth grit together as he tried to forget the images that were seared into his mind.

_"__Oh… It was all just a dream," _the young tom thought, flustered. _"But… Those deaths… They seemed so real… Just like that time I saw that fire destroy one of the twoleg dens while asleep… I just had a feeling, so I tried to warn them… And everyone laughed at me! Then it happened… And I was blamed for it… I was called Cursed… My mother lost all of her friends because she refused to kill me, and most of my littermates began to bully me and refused to even be near me… Only Princess stood by me… My adoption was one of the best things to happen to me… If I had stayed, I could have died…"_

Shaking off his dark thoughts, the young tom yawned and stretched out. Stepping out his bed, he headed straight towards a box that had some small, gravel-like dirt covering in the bottom. Leaping into it, the tom sighed as he used it. After kicking the dirt over his mess, he headed over towards the food dish, seeing the hard, dry pellets. Picking up a piece, he crushed it and chew it. Swallowing it, he slowly continued to eat, now calm.

_"__This is so boring…" _he mused as he ate. _"I wish that I had that dream where I was hunting a mouse in the woods… I wonder how a mouse tastes like…"_

After finishing the bowl, the young tom moved over to the water bowl and drank his fill. Then, after noticing that his twolegs were not home, he ran over to the covered hole in the door. He pushed through and exited the twoleg den and into the fenced yard. He grinned as he felt the sun's heat through the pelt. Excitement building in his body, leaving his fears behind for the moment as he dashed towards the fence that bordered the forest. Leaping up on the fence, he stared out into the woods.

_"__I wonder what it is like in the woods," _he pondered. _"Is there lots of mice and other creatures there? I mean… I have heard the rumors just like everyone else… The cats in the woods are savages that will attack anyone that gets on their territory… They have been known for going into the twolegplace to attack innocent cats and kill them… It is said that these cats should not be welcomed as they have cursed blood… Then, there are some of the more ridiculous rumors…"_

"Hey Rusty! You're not thinking about heading into the woods, are you? It's dangerous out there!"

The ginger tom looked over at the black and white tom coming over towards him, his tail raised high in greeting. He flicked his ear as went to answer the other tom.

"I was just thinking about looking around," he answered. "I wouldn't go that far in case something happens, Smudge… I will be okay…"

"But Rusty!" mewed Smudge. "Surely you have heard the rumors? That the cats in the woods are ill, filthy creatures that are always fighting! It is said that they use the bones and fur of their enemies for their nests! They have even come here and just randomly attacked some cats. From what I had heard, they even killed a cat!"

_"__And those are the crazy rumors,"_ Rusty bitterly stated in his mind. _"Why would anyone use the bones of their enemies to sleep on? And… Surely the cats can't be that bad… Can they? And would they accept someone like me? Someone that is cursed?"_

"Besides," continued on Smudge, ignoring Rusty looking at his paws. "Didn't your cool uncle say that he coming sometime soon? And it's not just one of his checking up on you visits?"

"That is true," Rusty mewed. "Dreamweaver did say that…"

"And what would he say if you came back bloody and beat up," Smudge stated, pointing his tail towards the forest. "Or if you failed to come back at all… Dreamweaver would be sad. That tom cares about you…"

_"__Smudge does have a point…" _Rusty sighed. _"What would happen if I got into trouble? I am smaller than normal so many cats would tear into me… And Dreamweaver does love me in spite of what me and my littermates represent… He loves even though we are not related by blood."_

"Besides, there is nothing really interesting in those woods," Smudge added, looking at Rusty. "Henry said that he went into the woods once and even caught a bird! However, he also stated that it felt like he was being watched, so he quickly went back home."

"Henry is nothing but a fat, lazy tom!" Rusty rapidly declared, remembering the tom's angry glare every time he saw him. "I doubt that he could even catch a bird! The most that he does is walk to the food bowl or go outside to sun his self."

"Henry is not that bad!" Smudge stated, looking a bit concerned. "Though… He does seem to be a bit harsh to you…"

"Everyone just seems to see me as some monster," Rusty spoke, staring down at the yellow stars and band right above his white paws. "Just because I have these markings on my legs… All I want to do is help others and be accepted…"

"Rusty…" Smudge mewed as his ears laid back. "I really hate to say this as your friend but… Maybe you are not meant to be a kittypet…"

"What do you mean, Smudge?" Rusty questioned in disbelief. "I have no where else that I could go! At least as a kittypet, my twolegs would do what they could to protect me."

_"__However, I do have to agree with you somewhat, Smudge," _Rusty added in his head. _"I am afraid of heading to the Cutter… I don't want to change… I don't want to be lazy… And… I do want to find someone that will love me for me and maybe… I could have a family of my own… Or… I can adopt a lonely kit one day… And raise them to be a wonderful cat."_

"If you choose to leave, can you please tell me first?" Smudge begged. "You're my friend, and I want you to be happy… I wish that you can stay here and be happy… But even I can see that you wouldn't be safe nor happy here."

"Hey. You there!"

Both toms jumped at the new voice. While Smudge managed to stay on the fence, Rusty fell off on the side with the forest. He hit the ground but quickly got onto his paws, glancing around the forest with wonder. Then, he turned to look up at Smudge, who was turned to face whoever had entered his yard. The black and white tom had fluffed up fur as his tail waved back and forth.

"Who are you?" Smudge hissed out. "What are you doing in this yard?"

"Sorry about that!" answered a female voice. "We were just so excited! This is our first time to…"

"Shyla!" called out a familiar voice. "Algar! Wait up! You don't just go up to cats and ask questions. It's dangerous!"

At the sound of the voice, Rusty leaped back up on the fence, tail held high in excitement. There were two cats around his age on the fence that was right by the nearby alleyway. After a minute, a third cat joined the two. Smudge's fur went down when he saw the third cat.

"Dreamweaver!" Smudge shouted, waving his tail in greeting. "What a surprise! How are you? You are earlier than I thought!"

The tall gray tabby tom looked in Smudge's direction with a nod before turning to the two younger cats. Then, three more cats joined Dreamweaver on the fence. Rusty noticed the shiny materials on the cloth-like collars that most of the newcomers had on.

_"__Are all of these cats apart of the same group as Dreamweaver?" _he questioned. _"They all have the same collars on… The Knights… Oh wow… I knew that other Knights as Dreamweaver has been telling stories… But this is too many cats!"_

"You two should know better!" reprimanded Dreamweaver. "Don't run off from the group! We can't move at the same speed as you!"

"But Uncle Dreamweaver!" whined a dark gray molly. "It's not everything that you get to meet a new cousin! I just couldn't wait to meet him!"

"I only ran off so that Shyla wasn't breaking the rules," added a dark brown tabby tom with a short, stumpy tail. "I didn't want to leave the patrol, but she just wasn't listening…"

"Algar," spoke a mid-aged dark brown tabby and white tom. "While it was brave and honorable that you wanted to help your brother-in-arms, you have to follow the rules. Knights are not to travel alone! And Shyla… Excitement is no reason to break the rules."

"You cannot underestimate any kittypet," added an ancient dark brown tabby tom. "While kittypets can be lazy, they can also be smart… Most of them will protect their territories… And they hate us! And… All it takes is one bad day… One unlucky move… And you are gone…"

_"__What is that old cat doing here?"_ Rusty wondered, flicking his ears. _"He should be resting and enjoying what remains of his life! For that matter, why are all these cats here? Dreamweaver always came alone with his story"_

"We will be talking with Lord Arthur and your mentors when we get back," Dreamweaver continued on sternly. "To see if you two need any punishment… Now… Rusty, do we have permission to enter your yard?"

"Sure?" mewed Rusty in a questioning tone. "It's good to see you… But who are all of these cats?"

Both Rusty and Smudge leapt down from the fence as the group also jumped down from the fence. Rusty then stares at Dreamweaver, waiting to be introduced to everyone. However, he was now very nervous and was ready to flee back into his twoleg's nest at any moment.

"Hello Rusty," purred the old tom, stepping towards. "It's nice to finally meet you… I'm Michael, your grandfather…"

"My grandfather…" stated Rusty, slightly confused. "Does that mean..?"

"Yes, Rusty," mewed the old tom. "I am family… I'm your mother's father… And I am very happy to meet you… Dreamweaver has told me about you."

Rusty just looked over at his uncle, who was staring in his direction. He was a tall and slender gray tabby tom with a fluffy tail and neck fluff. However, he also had long fur that covered one of his eyes, hiding that eye from sight. Rusty knew what he was hiding: a missing eye with scars.

"Hello Rusty!" chirped the dark gray molly, getting right in his face. "I'm Shyla… Your cousin!"

Rusty leaped back in shock as he was shaken from his thoughts. She, in turn, looked hurt by his reaction. The other young cat, the dark brown tabby tom with a short tail, sighed.

"Give him some space, Shyla," he growled. "He doesn't want you in his face at this time… By the way, I'm Algar, a Page of the Knights."

"A Page..?" Rusty questioned, still nervous and confused as he turned towards Shyla. "What is a Page? And… A cousin… How?"

"A Page is a Knight-in-Training," stated Algar proudly. "We have a mentor and are learning the traditions and rules of the Knights!"

"And as how I am your cousin," continued Shyla cheerfully, seemingly forgetting her earlier frustration. "Your aunt adopted me! That makes me your cousin!"

_"__Adopted? So like Dreamweaver?"_ Rusty mused. _"So… You are not blood yet you are family… Family… That could like me for me…"_

"Now, now young ones," purred Michael. "Let's the others introduce themselves before you hog him to yourselves."

"To be young again," the other dark brown tabby and white tom laughed with a tone of wishful regret. "To be innocent and not know the ways of the world… Anyways, young Rusty, I'm Dante… Sir Dreamweaver here was my apprentice!"

"Dante…" growled Dreamweaver, glaring in his direction as the fur on his back and tail fluffed up. "Now is not time for your stories…"

"You mean like the time that you ran straight into a tree because you were not paying attention?" Dante stated with a grin. "Or that you panicked when I threw you into water… that ended up covering up only your paws."

"Dante, you ego-filled, heart-less fool!" started Dreamweaver, stalking up to the other tom, furious. "Why I.."

"Enough Dante!" spoke the final cat, a large black molly with sharp green eyes. "Dreamweaver! Stop these kitten-like actions! You are embarrassing us in front of a possible new member!"

"And who are you?" Rusty asked, for now ignoring Dante and Dreamweaver circling each other.

"And what is this about a new member?" added on Smudge, curious. "Are you… going to take Rusty away?"

_"__Take me away?" _Rusty mentally queried. _"How could they take me away? Have I done something wrong? I can't help what I see in my dreams!"_

"I am called Panther," the black molly answered. "One of the Knights… As for your question, young tom, we are here for a reason… But that reason is up to Rusty and young Rusty alone."

"Ya!" chirped Shyla with a happy smile. "The Knights will not force anyone to join them! That would make us no better than those stupid cult cats!"

"But…" added Algar. "Would you consider joining the Knights? It would be nice if there was another male Page besides my one brother… And it is always nice to have someone else to talk to… Someone that can understand the hate we go through…"

_"__Hate? Why?"_ Rusty thought in horror. _"Why would anyone hate these cats? They seem nice enough, and they haven't run off in terror because they saw the markings on my front legs…"_

"Why would someone hate you?" Smudge probed, asking the same questions that Rusty was mentally. "I mean… You guys are weird… for cats as you wear those strange collars with those shiny things on them… But you also seem nice enough!"

"Thank you, young tom," mewed Michael. "Now… What is your name?"

"Smudge," the black and white tom answered back, now confused at the attention as everyone but Dante and Dreamweaver turned their sight on him. "Er… Why is everyone looking at me?"

"You need to be careful, young Smudge," Panther stated, only half paying attention to the kittypet. "Otherwise, you will end up with many young mollies chasing your tail… Dante! Dreamweaver! Stop playing like kittens! Grow up and gain some balls, you two!"

As Dante and Dreamweaver separated from where they were fighting, with Dreamweaver covered in dirt from where he had been pinned down, Smudge began to panic.

"What do you mean?" Smudge shouted, now afraid. "Chasing my tail? Am I in danger?"

"Calm down," Dante stated as he jumped into the conversation. "No one is catnapping anyone! What Panther means is that when we have patrol come by here, you will be known as a safe cat to be around… Which opens up the possibilities that the mollies from the Knight will try to court you…"

"Court Smudge?" Rusty inquired, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Oh… Sorry," mewed Michael, giving Dante a sharp glare. "Sometimes we forget that cats outside of the Knights have different ways… Courting is a way that we try to get a cat to become mates… By visiting them and bringing them gifts…"

"Oh… Wait… What?" Smudge stated in shock. "Become mates? With me..?"

_"__Great… Smudge has lost his head," _Rusty thought. _"Then again, he has never even thought about getting a mate… He has always been happy with his twolegs… With being a kittypet… But…"_

"Anyways," growled Dreamweaver as he slapped Dante with his tail. "Rusty… While we are here to see you and introduce you to some of your family, we do have another reason to be here… We wanted to see if you wanted to join the Knights."

"Why me?" Rusty had to ask. "I'm not the smartest cat, and I'm nothing special… I'm just a runt… And… I'm Cursed…"

Silence fell over the whole group while Rusty just stared down his paws. He could feel nothing but shame. Then, someone stepped forward until they were right in front of him.

"Rusty," mewed Michael. "Please look up at me."

Rusty refused, afraid to see the hate building in their eyes. However, Michael sighed and put this tail over his shoulders, sitting on one side.

"Rusty… Why are you afraid?" Michael queried. "It is because of your Mark?"

Rusty glanced up at the old tom in surprise. That was when he noticed that Michael had unusual copper eyes that were only seen in certain kittypets of 'pure-blood,' whatever that meant.

"Rusty… You do not have to be afraid of us," Michael began with a sad tone. "We will not judge you as others have done to you… We all understand… We are also judged…"

"How are you judged?" Rusty asked, still feeling down. "It seems like you would have everything… And why me?"

"Rusty," continued Michael. "Your mother has passed onto us what happened to you before you were adopted by this human… On how everyone except your mother and one of your sisters turned on you… Hated you for something that was out of your control… For something that you never even had a choice on… The same thing that they blame us… And not just us… Because of the actions of the few…"

"Are you talking about the so-called Cursed?" Smudge asked carefully, taking a step forward. "The cats that are said to become insane… But have a great power?"

"Our term is the Marked," answered Dreamweaver. "Because those that are 'gifted' with power are forever 'blessed' to carry an unnatural marking somewhere on their body… It can be hidden but it always be there… And… While sanity can be a lost, it by far isn't the only thing… To get this power, you have to lose something in return!"

"What… What are some of the things that can be lost?" Rusty gasped out in horror as he looked back and saw Smudge's terrified stare. "Am I going to go insane?"

_"__My dreams… Are they visions of the future?" _Rusty thought with a sense of growing horror. _"And… If that is true, just what did I lose?"_

"Rusty, it is not likely that you will go insane," answered Michael. "There are many more thing that it could be… It could be that you go to sleep… and wake up looking completely different. It can be that you could never end up having kittens… Or you could have a disability: the lost of one of your senses…"

"The point that Michael is trying to make, young Rusty," interrupted Panther, a sadness in her eyes. "It is different for each cat and you never know what it is… So you shouldn't worry about it…""

"There are always signs when someone is going insane…" added on Michael. "So we will know how to watch out for it… And there are worse fates to be had…"

Dante, Panther, and Michael all gained depressed faces. Dreamweaver covered his nose and softly hissed, as if remembering something foul. Algar and Shyla, on the other paw, were confused yet frightened by what the others were saying.

"Wait… There is something worse than going insane?" Smudge gasped out in shock. "What else can happen to cats?"

"A lot of things can happen…" sighed Michael as he looked up at the sky. "So many things… Now… young Rusty and young Smudge… Let me tell you a story… A story about how the Marked came to be…"

_"__Oh… A story?" _Rusty thought with a hint of confusion. _"But what does this story have to do with anything?"_

"A long time ago," began Michael. "There was a molly, alone… Pregnant. Thirsty, she found a pool. However, that pool was guarded by a strange looking cat… A cat that looked unnatural, with long paws, un-catlike eyes, strange head fur, hind legs that looked like they were not formed correctly… In all, a cat that looked like he took features from the humans!"

"Wait… A cat twoleg?" Smudge interrupted. "That can't be possible! How can a cat look like a twoleg..? Or it's a twoleg that looks like a cat?"

"Anyways… This peculiar cat told this expecting mother not to drink the water in the pool or it would change her life forever…" continued Michael, ignoring Smudge's confused ranting. "One way or another… But this molly failed to listen… She forced her way passed the ancient tom and drank her fill… Only to meet darkness…"

"She died?" Rusty cried out. "That terrible! Was the water poisoned or something?"

"In a way, it was," answered Michael. "However, this is not the end for this molly… nor her unborn family… She awoke, in pain…. Her blood was on fire… But she lived… Able to walk away from that place… Yet, she ended up very different… And what she did also affected her kits…"

_"__Oh no…" _Rusty thought in horror. _"I don't like where this is going! Those poor kits… What happened to them?"_

"She gave birth to six kittens," Michael spoke. "However, the molly noticed right away that something was wrong… Her kittens were the wrong color for what they should have been, with strange markings that have never had been seen on a cat. Then, she saw something that horrified her: one of her kittens was born without a face."

"A cat without a face?" exclaimed Smudge. "How would a cat without a face even live? How is such a thing even possible?"

"They don't," replied Michael. "This young, newborn kitten slowly starved to death as he couldn't eat… But the mother failed to care… She found out that she hated her kittens and wanted to get rid of them as soon as she could…"

"Silvertongue was a cruel and nasty molly!" declared Shyla, flicking her tail. "Then again, she carried most of the same views of many cats in this day and age: kill anything that is different from you!"

"Silvertongue?" Rusty asked confused at the name. "Why was her name Silvertongue?"

"It has been stated that Silvertongue was a silver tabby molly," began Algar with a hint of a hiss in his tone. "She was also a known liar, always trying to weasel her way out of everything… Her kindness… that was stated to be her lost…"

"That is what the old stories tell us," Dreamweaver added in, tone dark with anger. "That she was kind and nice… And that she turned dark… Her heart became stone. It has been stated that she felt nothing as she watched her own kitten die… She failed to show the kitten any mercy... Not even the living ones."

"As soon as she could," Michael continued on, ignoring the growing anger from the cats around him. "Silvertongue weaned her five remaining kittens as fast as she could, then abandoning them in a rush. Then, the silver molly was never seen again by the five kittens… But their story does not end there, alone in a world that hated them… They were found by the same strange cat that had tried to warn their mother about the dangers of the pool. He taught the five all that he knew… Help them grow up, survive!"

"Also, remember that faceless kitten?" added in Dante as he sat down by Dreamweaver. "The one that could eat and died..? Well… His story is not over either… He was watching over his littermates as a spirit, refusing to fade away… Wanting to be noticed by his living kin… And one day, when the others were all young adults, the faceless tom was finally spotted by one of his sisters…"

"Zanth, the Creator," sighed Panther. "It is still unknown how she did it… But she gave that tom a type of half-life, not alive yet not completely dead… A spirit that can jump between the lands of the living and dead… But… Her action has hurt us even to this day… By causing the formation of the Nightmares…"

"Nightmares?" Rusty questioned. "What are they?"

"They are the spirits of cats, cats that were good, kind, just in life," answered Dreamweaver. "That want nothing but revenge on their killers… And… Should they get that revenge… Well… Let's just say that it is not good for anyone that loved that cat in life…"

"You can always tell a Nightmare by their eyes…" Algar added on quietly, stumpy tail flicking as he stared at his paws. "A living Nightmare will have one eye… What was once white is now dark… Showing the possible corruption that they will face… But… It is the spirit Nightmares that are truly dangerous…"

"Rusty, should you ever see a Nightmare, no matter the reason, run!" stated Dreamweaver firmly. "You too young Smudge… Nightmares are powerful creatures… No single cat can face them in combat and even hope to win… Not even a group of the strongest Knights can fight one without losing someone… You have to be very lucky… And you better hope that they are not your family…"

"Why..?" Rusty asked. "Why does it matter if you are family..?"

"Because if that Nightmare does get their revenge," Panther stated seriously. "Then… They go after the cats that they loved in life… Their family and friends… The old and the young… All of them dead at their claws…"

"Er… Okay! Thanks for the warning but can we get back to the story?" Smudge begged. "I don't want to suffer from nightmares tonight… So, what about the other cats? And… Why did you call Zanth the Creator?"

_"__Those are very good questions," _Rusty thought in agreement. _"And… I don't want to think about those powerful cats that could kill me with one strike…"_

"Very well, young Smudge," Michael mewed in amusement. "Now… Where was I? Oh yes… After Zanth had found their missing littermate, they left behind the one that had saved them, wanting to see the world with their own eyes. The group traveled around, from water to water, over mountains and through many valleys… However, that was when they noticed that most cats seemed to hate them just on sight…"

"Why were they hated?" Rusty had to ask. "Was it because… They were cursed?"

"Marked, young Rusty," sighed Dante. "We are called the Marked… Going around calling the Marked Cursed will get you in trouble… If they don't get worried about you first…"

"But you are correct, Rusty," Michael added in before the young ginger tom could say or think anything. "They were hated because they had powers that the other cats could even understand… It seems like it is the way of the world to distrust those that are different… Those that are not like you… Those that fail to be normal… Those that are willing to step outside the standards of what is considered acceptable… Anyways… After finding out about their dead littermate, they decided to try and find a place that would try to accept all of them."

"But they found out that was impossible," mewed Algar with sadness. "While they did find cats that would accept them, there was no single group of cats that would want to be with all of them…"

"But that is why they ended up forming the five groups?" Shyla added on cheerfully. "So that each of them could protect their kin… Anyone that was like them!"

"True, true…" Michael stated with a smile towards the gray molly. "You have been listening! Now… Shyla and Algar. Can you tell young Smudge and young Rusty who each of the Founders were and what groups they ended up forming or joining?"

"Oh course!" answered Shyla. "There is Faceless, the spirit littermate, the Illusionist, the one that creates the Nightmares and walks the afterlife. Then there is Zanth, who had kittens with a cat that she thought that she loved… She then gave her five kittens to the newly formed warrior clans, one per clan… And gained the name Silverpelt from the clans that she watched over. However…"

_"__The warrior clans?"_ Rusty wondered. _"Are those clans… Are they the cats that live in the woods on the other side of the fence? I wonder… Would those cats accept me for me?"_

"…Then there was Clover, the Lucky, who somehow got a group that worshipped her every pawsteps," continued on Shyla. "Those cats would end up becoming the crazy cat cult that no one likes…"

"To this day, it is a wonder how such a sweet-natured cat created such a dark and insane group," added Panther with a snarl in her tone. "She would be very disappointed with her descendants!"

"As for the other cats," Algar stated. "If I remember correctly… Fox, also known as the Transformer, created the Shifters who shift into the culture of the cat that names them… Well, all but in one way… Anubis, the Judge, was the Founder of the Judgement, our allies. They are known for their strange, ancient names, their love of human's history and learning, and the way that they can find the truth of a situation by talking to the spirits of the dead."

"Spirits… Of the dead?" questioned Smudge nervously. "But… That is impossible!"

"Is it?" asked Dreamweaver in return. "There are stranger things that have happened… Things that seem even more impossible…"

"As for the final cat," Algar said. "That is our ancestor, Lancelot the Soldier. He helped found the Knights with the help of Lord Arthur and led the Knights into an age of peace! He was…"

"Wait.." Rusty interrupted. "How in the world would you know all of this? Wasn't this… Didn't these cats live seasons ago?"

"Two reasons," answered Michael with a purr. "One, the Judgement are excellent bookkeepers, and two, Lord Arthur still lives… He is the same cat that helped found the Knights!"

As Rusty dropped his jaw at the thought of a cat even older than Michael still living, Michael smiled at the ginger tom.

"Now," purred the old tom. "Enough about the pasts… We are here to visit our kin. So, Rusty… Can you tell us a bit about yourself?"

_"__Is this what family feels like?" _Rusty questioned as he joined the others under the bushes. _"Warm… Happy? I could get used to this…"_

* * *

**ShadowClan Allegiances**

_Leader: _Brokenstar- Dark brown tabby tom with a bent tail, a flat face, and orange eyes.

_Deputy: _Blackfoot- White tom with black paws and ears, six toes on one foot, and amber eyes.

Apprentice: Dawnpaw

_Medicine cat: _Yellowfang-Dark gray molly with a flat face and orange eyes.

Runningnose- Gray and white tom with a running nose and amber eyes.

_Warriors: _Brackenfoot- Pale ginger tom with dark ginger legs and amber eyes.

Finchflight- Black and white tom with amber eyes.

Mudclaw-Gray tom with brown legs and hazel eyes.

Lizardstripe- Pale brown molly with a white underbelly and yellow eyes.

Nettlespot-White molly with ginger flecks and blue eyes.

Newtspeck- Mottled black and ginger tabby molly with amber eyes.

Frogtail- Dark gray tom with green eyes.

Ashheart- Pale gray molly with blue eyes.

Scorchwind- Ginger tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Rowanberry- Cream and brown molly with amber eyes.

Apprentice: Applepaw

Nutwhisker- Brown tom with amber eyes.

Wolfstep- Gray tom with amber eyes.

Boulder- Gray tom with blue eyes.

Russetfur- Dark ginger molly with dark green eyes.

Apprentice: Webpaw

Flintfang- Gray tom with amber eyes.

Fernshade- Tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes.

Clawface- Brown tom with amber eyes.

Apprentice: Littlepaw

Deerfoot- Gray tom with brown spots on his back and amber eyes.

Tangleburr- Gray and brown molly with green eyes.

Cinderfur- Gray tom with amber eyes.

Stumpytail- Brown tom with darker stripes, a short stumpy tail, and green eyes.

Apprentice: Brownpaw

Tallpoppy- Light brown molly with yellow-green eyes.

_Apprentices:_ Dawnpaw- Pale ginger tabby molly with blue eyes.

Brownpaw- Brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Wetpaw- Gray tabby tom with blue eyes.

Littlepaw- Brown tabby tom with light blue eyes.

Applepaw- Mottled brown molly with pale green eyes.

_Queens and Kits:_ Brightflower- Ginger tabby molly with a flat face and amber eyes. (Mother to Brackenfoot's kits)

Marigoldkit- Tortoiseshell molly with a flat face and green eyes.

Mintkit- Gray tom with amber eyes.

Shadeclaw- Black and white molly with amber eyes. (Mother to Frogtail's kits)

Nightkit- Black molly with pale green eyes.

Whitekit- Black tom with a white chest and paws and icy blue eyes.

Moonstripe-Silver tabby and white molly with green eyes. (Mother to Brokenstar's kits)

Ratkit-Dark brown tom with green eyes

Snowkit- White molly with green eyes.

Furykit- Silver tabby tom with amber eyes.

Darkflower- Black molly with dark blue eyes. (Mother to Scorchwind's kits)

Cedarkit- Dark gray tom with amber eyes

Rowankit- Dark ginger tom with amber eyes

Lavenderkit- Silver molly with darker flecks with light blue-green eyes.

_Elders: _Nightpelt- Black tom with amber eyes.

Ashfur- Gray tom with blue eyes.

Featherstorm- Dark brown tabby molly with amber eyes.

Crowtail- Black tabby molly with green eyes.

Archeye-Gray tabby tom with black stripes and green eyes.

Hollyflower- Dark gray and white molly with green eyes.

Poolcloud- Pale gray and white molly with blue eyes.


	3. Encounter by the Fence

**Chapter 2: Encounter by the Fence**

_"__I still cannot believe some of the things that I have learned today! It… This… It just seems like a dream… A place where cats like me are accepted, loved, not attacked on site? A part of me can't accept this… But the other half feels so warm… So happy… I never want to lose this feeling… But… Do I join the Knights?"_

Rusty sat down on the fence, staring up at the night sky. He had spent what was rest of the morning and most of the afternoon with Dreamweaver and the rest of the Knights. They just chatted in the bushes until Rusty's twolegs came out of the house and called for him. Rusty went in and greeted them and ate the dry, tasteless pellets. However, after his family went into the main room to watch the shiny box with the strange moving images, he went back out into the yard.

_"__However, I still am curious about the woods,"_ Rusty added. _"And.. I wonder what a mouse tastes like… It is like there is something that is pulling me towards the forest… But… From what both Dreamweaver and Michael were saying, the cats in those woods… Are not friendly towards outsiders. Anyone that happens to join the group that is not from their group is jeered at, hated, never accepted by their cats… They also are stern and very strict about their rules. Even if you were born into the group, if you break their rules, you are gone! They will chase you out without questioning why you did what you did… And are known to attack kittypets in their own yards with little to no reasons…"_

"Hey Rusty! What are you doing out here?"

Rusty waited as Shyla ran up to the fence, turning his head to watch her. Algar, the brown tabby tom with the short tail, followed the molly. Then, both young cats leapt up to join Rusty on the fence, with Shyla on one side and Algar on the other.

"Why are you out here?" Algar questioned softly. "I thought that you would be inside with your humans like most kittypets?"

"I had to get away and think about everything that I have learnt today," Rusty replied. "It just seems so… Unreal…"

"I understand…" Shyla mewed quietly, surprising Rusty as she had been a friendly yet excitable until that point. "When you are coming into the Knights from the outside, all the information can be… Too much…"

"From the outside?" Rusty echoed. "What do you mean?"

"Like you, I wasn't born directly into the Knights," began Shyla fiercely. "However, until like you… I don't share the same bloodline… My father used my mother then left her alone, leaving her to raise her unwanted kittens… No one wanted to help her, saying that it was that tom's right… That she went into heat and it was her fault if she didn't want kittens! That she should feel honored that some random tom 'chose' her! The kittypet and rogue culture… It so hateful! I… hate those toms!"

_"__Wait… What she is saying?" _ Rusty thought with alarm. _"Did… Did the same thing that happened to my mother happen to hers? That… That is horrible!"_

"Then," continued on Shyla. "She appeared when my mother needed help. The cat that would become my second mother… Sir Rose. She took in me and my littermates without a problem… Protected us… Loved us… Sometimes, I feel like there is nothing that I can do to repay her… But I am going to do everything that I can… By following in my second mother's pawsteps…"

"But," Rusty slowly asked, not wanting to offend the molly. "What happened to your littermates? Did they decide to stay with your mother?"

"No… I…" Shyla whimpered. "One of my littermates was stillborn… She never had a chance to live… And… My remaining littermates… A brother and a sister… They were taken by humans… My birth mother was only able to get me away… And Sir Rose was not there… And even if she was, there would have been nothing she could have done! The humans… They were too strong…"

"Shyla," mewed Algar. "I'm so sorry… I… I can't claim to understand your feelings… But if you ever need to talk… Or should I just get away…"

"Algar… I don't hate all toms!" Shyla stated firmly, looking past Rusty at him. "And I don't hate you or Rusty! Just… Those toms that are kittypets, loners, or rogues… Those that don't respect females!"

"But… My father is a kittypet!" growled Algar, glaring at her as his tail fluffed up. "Are you saying that he is bad?"

"No, of course not!" exclaimed Shyla, sounding angry. "I have met your father… Why would I hate Lady Romeo? He is one of the nicest kittypets ever! And you can see the love that he has for Sir Juliet… And he was so kind to me… Treated me like I was one of his own…"

"Yep, that is Dad for you!" Algar replied, more calmly than before. "Always welcoming to any of the Knights and Pages that enter his place… And all of the mushy stuff that he gets into with Mom! I just wish that they didn't do that sweet talk in front of the rest of us!"

"Sorry to interrupt, but… I'm a bit confused," Rusty said. "What is up with this 'Sir' and 'Lady?' Why are you calling other cats that and what do they mean?"

"Oh! That is right!" Shyla stated as she purred. "Michael and Dreamweaver hadn't gotten to all the parts of Knights' culture! Anyways… When a cat becomes a Knight, they gain the Sir title! Like for example… Dreamweaver is called Sir Dreamweaver and my second mother is called Sir Rose."

"One thing to note," added on Algar. "The Sir title is given regardless of gender… Which some cats seem to find weird…"

"Algar!" cried out Shyla. "I was going to say that!"

"Well…" Algar stated with amusement. "Then why don't you tell Rusty about the Lady title?"

"Fine!" Shyla said in a teasing tone. "I will! The Lady title is given to any lover of a Knight, regardless… So, it will confuse outsiders when there are toms called Lady!"

"You just like laughing at them when they act offended by anything that we do," Algar pointed out. "Which doesn't help us at all when we try to help outsiders…"

"Well, the society of the 'normal' cats rejected me," Shyla stated firmly. "So why should they expect me to respect them at all? Even if I don't get some of the things that you 'Marked' bloodline cats can do… Like Dante's eye color…"

"Shyla, are we going to have this conversation, again?" Algar groaned. "Even if you can't see them… Dante's eyes are red!"

"No, they are a strange gray color!" snapped back Shyla. "And for that matter..!"

Rusty just felt very out of place as the two started to quarrel. While they were nice, they both acted like friends that had known about each other for a while. He felt… Like an outsider looking in.

_"__This is awkward…" _Rusty mentally said to his self. _"I think that I am going to leave now… I am not getting in the middle of this… However, a part of me still want to check out the forest… Even if there are those wild cats… But… What are the chances that there is a cat waiting here near the fence to attack?"_

Making his decision, Rusty leaned forward to leap onto the ground, his nose twitching as he took in the scents before him. However, something stopped him as he noticed some nearby bushes shake. The fur on the back of his neck stood up as he sniffed the air.

"Rusty… What is the matter?" Algar questioned, as he and Shyla stopped their argument. "Is there someone out there?"

"Ohh… I wonder if there is one of those clan cats!" Shyla added with a chirp. "Then… I can finally get to yell at one!"

"Or we could learn more about their culture and see if they would be allies," Algar pointed out. "Or if they are like that crazy cat cult, unable to be reasoned with…"

"I would just tell them off," Shyla replied. "You have heard the stories from the old ones… The clan cats attack first, ask questions later. They do not like anyone but them on their territories! Anyways… Rusty, you were not thinking of going into the woods, were you?"

"I was thinking of just taking a peek," answered Rusty. "Just a quick look… And maybe see if I could see a mouse…"

"That is not a good idea…" began Algar. "We don't want to see you get hurt in any way…"

"Oh! Come on! Why won't you just come down here like any normal kittypet!"

Rusty, Algar, and Shyla all almost leaped off of the fence in shock as a young tom dashed out of the bushes, hissing in fury. His long silver fur shone like starlight as the tom stopped right in fence of the trio. After righting his self, Rusty quickly looked at Algar and Shyla. Both of them had a fierce, angry glare in their eyes as they stared down at the wild cat.

_"__Oh no…"_ Rusty told his self. _"This isn't going to be good… I hope that no one starts a fight…"_

"Well, well!" Shyla growled. "What do we have here? It looks like I got my wish! What does a dumb clan cat want with us?"

Rusty saw that the silver tom ignored Shyla's pointed tone as he stared right at him. He felt very uncomfortable at the attention that was aimed directly at him. Judging from the fact that he felt both Algar and Shyla brush their fur against his, they had noticed his discomfort.

"Why are you leaving your forest to bug us?" Algar questioned sternly. "We aren't going into your territory… And we have no need to stink up your territory! We have done nothing wrong! So… Go away!"

_"__But I did want to go look around in the forest," _Rusty confessed. _"It just seemed interesting in there…"_

"And even if one of us did want to look around," Shyla added sharply. "Then the others would do everything that we could to stop them. We don't feel like getting hurt randomly by idiots! We know about how you attack innocent kittypets!"

The young tom continued to ignore both Algar and Shyla, focusing solely on Rusty. Rusty, even if he wanted to do nothing more than running away from this situation, glared back at the tom. That was when he noticed the darker gray stripe that ran down the other tom's back from head to tail.

_"__That is a strange color pattern," _Rusty mused. _"It is rare to see a cat with just one stripe down their back… In fact, I don't think I have never seen a cat with that type of pattern before…"_

"Listen here, you useless kittypet!" the silver tom spat out, tail twitching with anger. "Get down here and fight me! Stop being a mousebrain!"

"And who is the mousebrain here?" Shyla loudly whispered to Algar from behind Rusty's back. "He is the one that charged straight of his hiding place, giving up the ability to surprise us with an attack!"

"Don't insult me you kittypets!" hissed the tom. "You two love birds can go somewhere else! This is between me and that ginger kittypet!"

"One, how dare you even try to order us around!" Shyla snapped. "You have no rights to try to control us! And… There is no way that we would leave our family member to face you alone… Two, how dare you assume that we are kittypets! Don't you know that there are other groups of cats that have minor contract with humans? After all, the humans are not all bad!"

Rusty felt a warmth fill his chest at Shyla's words. In spite of only knowing them for such a short time, Shyla and Algar were already protecting him. Glancing down at the wild cat, he saw that the tom was getting even more furious. The wild cat looked more like a ball of fluff than a cat now in his fury, acting like he just wanted to shout at Shyla.

"And three?" Shyla continued with a distaste before the tom could interrupt her. "There is no way that I would be mates with my brother-in-arms? That would be like mating with a pure blood brother! Not to mention the trouble I would get in for even trying something like that…"

_"__That is interesting," _Rusty mused to his self. _"Dreamweaver had mentioned that before… That he would have to find a lover from outside of his group… Which could become my group… My family… But… Come to think about it… Why is that? Why can't they mate with each other? Considering the fact that most cats seem to hate what is different… Wouldn't it make more sense if they would take mates from within the Knights?"_

"Kittypet," growled the silvery tom. "Loner or rogue… I don't care! You're in my way! The only one that I care about… Is that ginger tom! Now… Come down here and fight me! Or… Are you too afraid to do so… kittypet?"

Rusty felt an anger burning through his body. However, before he could leap down onto that insulting wild cat, both Shyla and Algar held up a paw to block him. Glancing over to shout at them, he saw the look of pure hate on Shyla's face as she bared her fangs at the tom. Peeking over at Algar, he noticed that he had a milder version of the same look.

"Don't go down there, Rusty," mewed Algar. "That's what that tom wants… For whatever reason, he is trying to force you into a fight… And I know how much that anger can sting, but, please, don't give in! We don't want to end up in that tom's territory…"

_"__Algar has a point there," _Rusty grumbled in his head. _"And that tom is bigger than me… But that doesn't mean that I have to like his insults at all! What is wrong is being a kittypet? It can't be any worse than being Cursed…"_

"Listen here, little wild cat," Shyla hissed, basically daring him to try and interrupt her. "Here is what you are going to do… You are going to stop picking on my cousin. You are going to turn around and go back to that sorry-ass clan of your and forget about us! We will not enter your stupid forest… After all, as far as I can tell, your clan is full of nothing but incestuous, hypocritical fucks!"

"And what if I don't?" sneered the silver tom even as his paws were shaking. "What if I can't back down?"

"Then, I will call the rest of our patrol over!" declared Shyla. "And you can face the wrath of the Knights! Because… I am sure that my uncle and grandfather would love to meet you… And teach you why your culture is wrong!"

"There is nothing wrong with ThunderClan!" the silver tom snapped. "It's all the other clans that are wrong! Anyways… I cannot leave! My leader… She trusted me to do this! I will not fail her! I will prove myself to be a loyal warrior!"

As both Shyla and Algar growled at the nerve of this wild cat, Rusty felt his self freeze in place as he blinked his eyes. He soon saw that he was in a different place, the sound of running water filling his ears. Then, the scent of blood hit his nose like a monster on the dark, hard surface that they followed. Afraid to follow the smell, Rusty turned his head and froze at the sight that he saw. The same silver tom with a darker stripe running down his back was sitting next to a heavily breathing silver tabby form.

"No Silverstream," called out the tom, now older. "Please don't go… Our kits need you… I need you…"

A growl rang out from his right. Rusty froze a dark brown tabby stalked up, his fangs gleaming in the sunlight. As the silver tom continued to moan, praying to a higher power for salvation, this second tom came over. He looked down at the body in disgust, his lips curled.

"Graystripe," the tom all but hissed out. "You should have never mated with a RiverClan cat… Now, let's go… Without their mother, those filthy half-bloods are as good as gone… ThunderClan will never allow them… And Goldenflower should not have to take care of your mistakes!"

The tom turned towards the dark tabby tom, furious.

"You don't have the right to decide that!" he roared, stomping the ground. "You are only the deputy! You are not Bluestar!"

"Why would Bluestar let you raise your kits?" the other tom hissed back. "Now… Come here… We need to talk about your punishment…"

"But my kits!" the grown-up silver tom cried out. "We can't leave them here… I can't leave Silverstream here… She… She…"

Rusty had just watched the scene unfold in front of him with horror. He went to call out when he saw the dark brown tabby tom raised his paw, claws unsheathed. Then, without any warning, he found his self back on the fence. However, his ears started ringing as the argument between Shyla and the young silver tom came back into focus. The two were now full-blow yelling at each other.

_"__Now what is going on?" _Rusty thought with a groan. _"Why are they yelling? And… What just did I see? And… What in the world does that mean for me and why would that even be important for me?"_

Rusty had no more time to think about his odd vision, because, in the heat of the moment, Shyla roared as she leapt down onto the tom, clawing at his long, fluffy fur. The tom snarled, more out of surprise than pain as he threw off Shyla.

"Shyla, no!" Algar shouted, fur standing on end. "Please stop! That tom is not worth it! Now is not the time to fight with wild idiots!"

As Shyla ignored Algar and faced the silver tom, claws unsheathed and snarling, a shiver ran down Rusty's back. He felt like he was being watched by many sets of eyes. Glancing around gave him no closure as he failed to find anyone in the area in front of him.

_"__Okay… This is getting strange," _Rusty thought, trying to stay calm even as Shyla and the silver tom began to fight. _"First that vision of what seemed to be that tom but older with a dead molly… And now this feeling of someone watching me? Okay… Now I don't want to step in the forest… Things are just getting weird…"_

"Just what is going on here?"

Rusty turned to face Dreamweaver, who looked half-asleep as he yawned. The gray tabby sniffed the air as Rusty looked back at the fight that was happening. While the silver tom was larger than Shyla, he seemed to have trouble pinning the smaller molly. Shyla was using her smaller size to dodge the other's sluggish blows, nipping at him as she dashed around, circling him. However, from what he could tell from the light from the moon and stars, and from the lack of blood scent, Rusty could tell that Shyla was trying to not cause any damage. Which was strange to Rusty as she had jumped onto the tom in a fit of anger, defending her beliefs.

_"__Most cats in that position would be drawing blood in their anger," _Rusty mused in his mind as he watched, feeling the fence slightly shake as Dreamweaver leapt onto the fence. _"When there is something in front of them, cats will take out their fury out… There have been enough times where those that I thought that I could trust have struck out with their claws… So… Just what Shyla doing? Was she really upset or just acting? Or… Is this a part of some plan?"_

"Just what is Shyla thinking, fighting with one of those creatures?"

Rusty was a bit surprised to hear the hate in his uncle's tone as he looked in the direction of the two fighting cats. A low hiss sounded from his throat as the fur on his back began to stand up and his ears laid back.

"Oh no…" Algar whispered to Rusty, with a hint of worry in his tone. "Shyla is in trouble now… Both Sir Dreamweaver and Sir Rose don't like anything that have to do with those mangy clan cats…"

"Shyla, what in the world do you think that you are doing?" Dreamweaver all but snarled out. "We do not seek out fights, even if they are incestuous little brats!"

"But Dreamweaver!" Shyla protested, her anger finally showing in her eyes. "This tom was insulting family and our culture! Calling us nothing more than rogues! So… How could I miss this chance to show that he is wrong? How his culture is in the wrong? Besides… How could I miss this perfect chance to get a bit of revenge for what they have done to our family?"

_"__Oh… I think I understand what is going on!" _Rusty reflected. _"Shyla was still upset… But she was playing around with that tom! She trying to beat him without drawing blood in order to show him up… But why? And… What is this about revenge? I mean… I have heard that the cats of the woods have been known to attack kittypets for little to no reason… But this seems to be more than that…"_

"I will show you! Now you will take me seriously!"

The silver tom then pinned Shyla as she was distracted by Dreamweaver. He pressed her face into the dirt. Both Dreamweaver and Algar went still, their claws unsheathing. Rusty, on the other paw, had a different reaction when he saw the tom dig his claws into Shyla's fur, bending down to whisper in her ear.

Pure wrath.

"Leave my cousin alone, you jerk! You started this!"

Rusty leapt off of the fence with an unknown strength flowing through his blood. A burning, protective force that drove him to want to help one of the few cats that like him for who he was. For someone that didn't treat him like trash, that didn't kick him aside nor try to murder him. That love what led him to end up on the much larger tom's back, digging his claws as he bit down on his shoulder.

"What in the world?" growled the silver tom. "Get off of me and fight like a warrior!"

"Rusty!" cried out Algar as he and Dreamweaver jumped down. "Be careful!"

"You don't know what diseases those filthy savages might be carrying!" added in Dreamweaver with the hateful, distasteful tone he had been using since he first saw the wild cat. "And… Watch out! There are more of them!"

Trusting his uncle's sense of smell, Rusty dug his fangs into the long, silvery fur, shaking his head. The tom hissed out in pain as he tried to shake him off, unable to grab him from his current position. As the tom was focused on him, he had left Shyla alone. She quickly stood up and, as the tom finally grabbed Rusty's tail, she went and slapped the tom across the face. However, that tom refused to let go of his tail.

"Leave my cousin alone!" she yelled. "You big bully! Pick on someone your own size!"

"Graypaw!" roared out an unknown female voice. "Just what is going on here? Why are you out here so late… And where is Lionheart? Surely, he wouldn't approve of…"

Rusty was unable to turn to face the newcomer as he was still holding onto the silver tom, fangs and claws digging into the long fur. However, he heard Dreamweaver curse as he moved to stop the other. Then, to Rusty's horror, his claws finally gave away. He had to let go in order to not hurt his fangs as the tom dragged him off. Then, he found his self pinned by that same tom.

"Not so tough now, kittypet?" he taunted. "So… How does it feel to be beaten by a warrior? Personality… I don't see why…"

The tom never got to finish his words as Shyla took the chance and bit him right on his fluffy butt. He failed to cry out, but he did look very infuriated. Rusty took this chance to go to Shyla, feeling a bit off-center because of his runty size.

"Come on!" the tom growled. "Can you not do that? That is unfair!"

"Life is unfair, wild cat!" Shyla replied with a snort. "And there are cats that will not fight fair no matter what… When you are fighting to survive, you can't worry about honor. You worry about living! Besides… You are the one that started this by taunting us!"

"Well… ThunderClan doesn't need any kittypets nor rogues coming into our territory and taking our prey!" the tom retorted. "Prey that we need to survive! Then again, how would any kittypet understand our needs? You already get everything that you need from the twolegs… Why come into our woods and waste our food? Kittypets just end up leaving their fresh kill rotting in plain sight, bringing in unwanted predators! A kittypet would never understand what is like to be warrior!"

"And you think that being a rogue or kittypet is easy?" snapped Shyla, looking as if she wanted nothing more than to slap the silver tom upside the head for his rude behavior. "That just because we live with or near humans, that our lives are easy? Then… You are wrong! You never had to worry about finding a place to rest because of other cats in the area! You have never had to be worried about being poisoned by the twolegs…"

"What?" growled the female voice. "Don't twolegs like their 'poor, innocent' kittypets? Surely. They wouldn't…"

"Said the cat that had no rock ever thrown at them," answered Dreamweaver fiercely. "You stay safe in your little 'clans,' never having to worry about the outside world. Not even caring about your actions affects those that have left your precious clans! Not even thinking about what kind of discrimination those that leave your 'precious' clan face!"

As the unknown molly and Dreamweaver began to argue about the culture between the clan verses kittypets, loners, and rogues, the young silver tom just rolled his eyes.

"I don't see what the big deal is," he muttered, still facing Shyla and Rusty. "We clans have our way of life and all of the other cats need to stay out of our territory… It is bad enough that we have both RiverClan and ShadowClan pushing at our borders… ThunderClan doesn't need kittypets coming in… That is why Bluestar had me stay around here! To protect the clan from anyone that was trying to take what us ours!"

"That is stupid," Shyla stated plainly, looking at him like he was an idiot. "How would one undertrained young cat do anything against a truly stubborn cat? That just sounds like a good way to get yourself beat up or possibly killed! And if a group decided to invade? Well… You are as good as gone. Even the youngest of knights knows better than to be alone! Your leader is a fool!"

"Do not talk about Bluestar in that way!" he hissed back, fur fluffing up. "She deserves respect! She was chosen as deputy to the last leader and gained the nine lives from StarClan!"

_"__Does this tom realize how much information he is giving out freely?" _Rusty thought with a hint of amusement. _"That is dumb… Yet so useful… But… There is no way a cat can have nine lives! That is just a rumor started by the twolegs because cats are known to almost always land on all four paws… Or at least, that is the rumor that I have overheard from some of the local travelers… The ones that would slap me upset the head for even trying to talk to them…"_

"Oh? And that matters to me how, wild tom?" Shyla questioned, snorting out of disbelief. "I don't share your beliefs… And you have not shown any respect to me nor my culture… So why should we respect you or your culture?"

"To be fair…" mewed Algar as he crept up on the two. "You did jump onto him first Shyla…. And we are in his territory right now…"

"Well, he didn't need to insult our family!" Shyla responded with a huff. "Or our bloodline! Seriously… There is nothing wrong with being a kittypet… or loner or rogue… Heck, you could be a part of some crazy cat cult as long as you are not hurting anyone else … But we all… We are all the same…. We all come from the same place! Why… Why are some groups just so selfish! That they feel like they have to hurt anyone that happens to not be 'like' them?"

Rusty was stunned by Shyla's outburst and, by the looks of things, he wasn't the only one. The silver tom's jaw was wide open with shock. However, before anyone could say anything, Dreamweaver, who had been calmly yet furious chatting with an unknown molly, hissed as he looked in the direction of the woods.

"Well…" he stated with a snarl. "It looks like he wasn't alone… This is why we do not rush into an unknown area without help nor permission… And certainly not at your level of training!"

"Not bad for a simple rogue… Now, I have to ask… Just what are all of you doing in my territory?"

Rusty glanced up in fear as two new cats walked out the undergrowth.

_"__Just what have we gotten into?"_

* * *

**RiverClan Allegiances**

_Leader: _Crookedstar- Light brown tabby tom with a pale brown belly, a twisted jaw, and green eyes.

_Deputy: _Oakheart- Dark reddish brown tom with amber eyes.

_Medicine cat: _Mudfur- Mottled light brown tom with a pale belly and amber eyes.

_Warriors: _Softwing- Light brown tabby and white molly with hazel eyes.

Beetlenose- Crow black tom with amber eyes.

Blackclaw- Smokey black tom with amber eyes.

Apprentice: Heavypaw

Skyheart- Pale brown tabby molly with amber eyes.

Sunfish- Pale gray molly with amber eyes.

Frogleap- Gray tom with a striped tail and hazel eyes.

Loudbelly- Dark brown tom with hazel eyes.

Apprentice: Silverpaw

Sedgecreek- Brown tabby she with amber eyes.

Leopardfur- Dappled golden tabby molly with dark golden spots and amber eyes.

Apprentice: Mosspaw

Swanstripe- Gray molly with a darker stripe and green eyes.

Goosestream- Gray tom with green eyes.

Stonefur- Pale blue gray tom with blue eyes.

Apprentice: Shadepaw

Mallowtail- Tortoiseshell tabby and white molly with green eyes.

Dawnbright- Ginger and white molly with amber eyes.

Silverstream- Light silver gray and black tabby molly with blue eyes.

Vixenclaw- Black molly with amber eyes.

Grasswhisker- Brown tabby tom with darker stripes and green eyes.

Scalefur- Pale gray tabby tom with darker flecks on his back and amber eyes.

Troutstone- Dark gray tom with hazel eyes.

Whiteclaw- Black tom with one white paw and blue eyes.

Greenflower- Brown tabby molly with white splash under her chin and green eyes.

_Apprentices:_ Shadepaw- Dark gray molly with gray eyes.

Mosspaw- Tortoiseshell and white molly with blue eyes.

Silverpaw- Brown tabby tom with silver eyes.

Heavypaw- Brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

_Queens and Kits:_ Petaldust-Dilute tortoiseshell molly with green eyes. (Mother to an unknown father's kits)

Fogkit- Gray tabby tom with white paws and amber eyes.

Cranekit- Dilute tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes.

Streamkit- Ginger molly with white paws and hazel eyes.

Mistyfoot- Pale blue gray molly with icy blue eyes. (Mother to Blackclaw's kits)

Primosekit- Pale creamy brown molly with white paws and amber eyes.

Pikekit- Dark gray tom with dark mottled markings like a fish and blue eyes.

Perchkit- Black tom with green eyes.

Reedkit- Black tom with dark gray eyes.

_Elders: _Graypool- Dark gray molly with pale yellow eyes.

Owlfur- Brown and white tom with a white muzzle and green eyes.

Rippleclaw- Black and silver tabby tom with amber eyes.


	4. A Choice

**Chapter 3: A Choice**

"Bluestar!" whimpered the silver tom, curling his tail under his body. "Lionheart! I'm sorry…"

The tall, regal blue-gray molly silenced the young silver tom with just one look from her icy blue eyes. A large pale golden tabby tom joined her also gave him a disappointed look that caused the silver tom to shiver with sadness.

_"__So… That molly has to be some sort of leader, based on the reaction of that tom," _Rusty thought, trying to stand firm beside Shyla and Algar. _"She is… very intense… She looks like she is glaring at our very spirit…"_

The blue gray molly just quickly glanced over the three young outsiders, with Rusty noticing that her sight stayed on him the longest. He wasn't the only one as both Shyla and Algar flanking him, Shyla hissing at the other molly. However, the stranger's sight finally moved away from them and seemed to land on Dreamweaver. That was when her eyes narrowed with displeasure.

"Bitterclaw," the blue gray molly stated calmly yet sternly. "What are you doing here?"

"Redtail was wondering where you, Lionheart, and Graypaw were," answered the unknown molly's voice. "The only thing you told him was that you were going to the border… And Spottedleaf wasn't going to tell me anything! So Redtail sent me out to find you… Something about Tigerclaw wanting to attack RiverClan…"

"I trust that Redtail has it under control," interrupted the molly in front of Rusty. "That he can make decisions without my input… I wouldn't have made him deputy if I didn't trust him…"

"You would do well to remember that," added the golden tabby tom. "And you need to have a bit of trust in your leader, Bitterclaw. She isn't a weak-hearted leader. She was chosen by StarClan and you have to follow her."

_"__Just is what is up with these names?" _Rusty wondered with a snort. _"Is Bitterclaw bitter? Does Redtail have a red tail? Why do these 'clan' cats have such strange names? I mean… I know that Dreamweaver has a strange name… But one, he is named after a twoleg item. Two, it does fit him! And three… Well… It is much too late for anyone… Dreamweaver gets furious at the thought of anyone changing his name…"_

With a mental sigh, Rusty turned to face the unknown molly that was close to his uncle and was a bit stunned as she almost looked exactly like the regal molly. However, she was a bit darker than the older molly, had a lighter underside, and she had amber eyes instead of blue.

_"__Okay… So they are related," _Rusty added to his self. _"But it seems like neither of them are happy to see the other… That just makes me wonder what is going on between them."_

"Lionheart, I'm not disobeying Bluestar," the other molly stated with a hint of a resentment in her voice. "Redtail asked me to find you, and he is the deputy… But then I come out here to find a group of rogues fighting with Graypaw with no one nearby… What was I supposed to think?"

"We were nearby, Bitterclaw," answered the pale tabby. "So there was no need to worry about Graypaw's safety. However, that is kind of you, Bitterclaw. Maybe you would like to join in the next apprentices' group training session?"

"There is no need for that, Lionheart," the regal molly mewed. "Now… You can go back and tell Redtail that we are fine. We will be back as soon as we are done here…"

"Why?" Dreamweaver questioned harshly looking in the direction of the regal molly. "She is the only one with any sense in this situation! If you are the leader of this group, then why in the world did you send out a young cat to find a kittypet? Are you insane? Are you wanting to lose cats?"

"Just what do you mean by that?" probed the silver tom. "While you guys did fight well for a group of kittypets and rogues, normal kittypets are easy to take down! I would beat any kittypet that came across my way faster than you can say mousebrain!"

"If you believe that… Little feral," Dreamweaver hissed as he walked over to join Shyla, Rusty, and Algar. "Then… You have not faced the hate that others have… One day… Little one… One day… Now, Rusty, Shyla, and Algar. Let's go."

"Of course!" Algar chirped. "I don't want to be here…"

"These wild cats are nutty!" added Shyla, holding her head high. "Thinking that they are superior to all others when in fact, they are the weak ones!"

"Enough!" growled the blue gray molly. "You are all in my territory! Please leave and stop insulting us… All but one of you."

"Which one of us?" Dreamweaver snapped, unsheathing his claws. "Because you have no right to talk to any of us, wild cat!"

"But you came onto our territory," the darker blue gray molly added on. "We could have attacked you on sight… And… Now that I am thinking about it… Would have been wrong to do…"

"Bitterclaw, we are not wrong to protect our territory," mewed the pale tabby tom. "After all, if we don't…"

"And I do thank you for just talking with me, Miss… Bitterclaw?" Dreamweaver began. "So… For that, we will apologize for coming onto your territory. It was an accident as I didn't want to leave three young cats on their own… We should have never even stepped our paws here as it is well known you will hunt down and attack those that end up taking prey from your lands. That being said, you have no right to order us around! Either you talk with all of us here or we will be going, and you get to talk to no one! I will not be forced away from any of my family!"

Rusty felt guilty and looked down at his paws. He did want to head into the forest, to see the sights and sniff as many of the scents as he could. He wanted to feel the wind in his short fur and to finally catch a mouse and eat it, rolling the flavors around on his tongue. He just wanted to escape his life as a kittypet, if only for a little while. With a sigh, Rusty saw both Shyla and Algar gave him a look.

"That is not true!" retorted the silver tom, flicking his tail at Rusty. "That kittypet looked like he wanted to leap down and take what is ours!"

"I just wanted to look around!" Rusty exclaimed, the guilt burning through him. "And maybe hunt a mouse… After all, what harm could I do by taking just one mouse?"

That was the wrong thing to say. The regal molly's face twisted with anger as she stalked forward, unsheathing her claws and flicking her tail. Both Shyla and Algar leapt in front him, snarling. Even Dreamweaver came forward to protect him from that molly's possible attack.

"How dare you!" the molly spat out. "You understand nothing! We need every single piece of prey for ThunderClan! We have none to share with outsiders as we have to protect our clan, to feed our clan!"

"If you are that low on food, then why don't you fools just find another territory?" Dreamweaver questioned. "Why stay in the same place? Unless you are wise with how your clan hunts, you will destroy the source…"

"ThunderClan will never leave our territory!" she snapped back. "There is no need to leave… There is always just enough prey for us but just only enough for us! And we refuse to show such weakness! Otherwise…"

"Is it weakness to save lives?" Dreamweaver answered back, fury in his tone. "It is a weakness to care and to maybe move when things are… No, stop! Why am I ranting to you? It is clear to me that you don't care about anyone that is outside of your sick culture… You only care about the 'pure' blood of your members and damn all those that refuse! Speak your peace and let us leave… Or you will be the ones to regret it!"

"Are you threating Bluestar?" the pale tabby tom growled, fluffing up his fur to look even larger than he was. "And ThunderClan?"

"Yes," Dreamweaver stated bluntly. "I am. The Knights will not let injustice stand. We have left you around for now as you mostly keep to yourself… We tell all Knights in the area to avoid your lands but… Should you prove a threat to us or to those that we love… Well… There are ways that we can make you wish that you had never crossed us! Now… Hurry up and speak your piece. We want to leave 'your' territory as soon as possible."

Rusty saw that both the regal molly and the tabby tom had rolled their eyes at Dreamweaver's speech, not taking him seriously. While the darker molly had a thoughtful expression on her face, the young silver tom glared at them like they were crazy.

_"__But… Are the Knights the crazy ones here?" _Rusty wondered. _"I mean… I might have been thinking about going into the forest… But Shyla and Algar stopped me. We were just talking… Then that tom came out and just started yelling at us while we were still on the fence! The only reason that I even stepped onto their territory was because I couldn't let my cousin get hurt… Even if it happened to be her fault."_

"Fine," huffed the regal molly, understanding. "Young ginger tom… If you could come forward, please."

"No," growled Shyla, standing in front of him, ready to fight the clan cats if she needed to. "You can't have my cousin! Leave him out of your madness!"

_"__Wait… What?"_ Rusty thought in horror. _"They want to talk to me? Why? I'm nothing special… Just a cursed, runty kittypet that most cats don't want to be around…"_

"Oh… Are you afraid, young tom?" questioned the regal molly, tilting her head as she watched him. "When you were so brave earlier? Leaping onto Graypaw's back without fear to protect your friend."

"She is my family!" Rusty exclaimed, moving from where Shyla and Algar had hidden him. "Did you want me to just stand their looking horrified? When he pinned her, I… I just reacted! I didn't want to see her get hurt!"

"And that was a dumb move, Rusty," Algar pointed out, nervous. "If this had ended up being serious, you could have been hurt. You can only get so far fighting without any training."

"I glad that you were worried about me, Rusty," Shyla added, placing her tail over his shoulder as she glared at the regal molly. "But I had it under control…"

"Until that tom pinned you, that is," Algar growled. "Seriously, you are not much better than Rusty! You need to stop rushing into things head-first! Your actions…"

"Cause you to be as much a danger as the enemies will face," Dreamweaver finished. "While your willingness to fight for your brothers is admirable, but you have to fight wisely, not rashly. You will learn how to use your anger to strengthen your attack…"

"Stupid…. Maybe," butted in the dark gray molly. "But brave… Unusually brave for such a small kittypet…"

"Size isn't everything, Bitterclaw," mewed the regal molly. "Anyways… Young kittypet… I'm Bluesta, the leader of ThunderClan. This is one of my senior warriors, Lionheart, and his apprentice, Graypaw."

"And that is Bitterclaw, Bluestar's daughter," Lionheart added on, pointing his tail toward the darker molly. "One of our younger warriors at the moment."

It was just for one heartbeat, but Rusty saw a look of disgust cross Bluestar's face. However, it was gone when he blinked, so he failed to pay it much mind as all of the wild cats were focused on him. He almost wanted to run and hide as getting this much attention was… Well, it never turned out good for him. However, he also wanted to stand strong and not show any more weaknesses.

_"__I cannot keep running away from my problems," _Rusty thought bitterly. _"One day, I will face someone that I cannot run away from. I will have to stand and fight or die… And as a kittypet, I will not get that chance… And, honestly, I don't think that I would like to be a kittypet for the rest of my life… For various reasons..."_

"Now, young kittypet, what is your name?" asked Graypaw, his tail flicking back and forth. "And you too, hot-headed she cat that attacked me?"

"Attacked you?" Shyla retorted, fluffing up her fur as she gained a furious glint in her eyes. "You were the one that attacked my family! Trying to taunt my cousin into attacking you for whatever reason! Do you think that I would just stand by?"

"Shyla!" groaned Algar as he dug his claws into the dirt. "Enough! You are going to get us all killed! Anyways… Graypaw, correct? I'm Algar, one of the sons of Sir Juliet and a current Page. This is my brother-in-arms, Shyla, a page just like me. My friend here is Rusty, a son of Lady Nutmeg."

"The tom with the emo hair is Sir Dreamweaver!" Shyla interrupted, determined to not be outshown. "He is brother to both Sir Rose, one of my mothers, and Lady Nutmeg. While he currently does not have a Page, he is waiting for…"

"Thank you for the introductions, Shyla and Algar," Dreamweaver dryly stated, stopping Shyla's words. "However, there was no need to tease me about my fur… You know the reason why I have it this way. Also… Why in the world did you call it emo hair?"

"Because that is what Aura always calls it!" chirped back Shyla, smiling at her uncle. "You don't have to be so serious all of the time!"

"Shyla… Rusty… And Algar," mused Graypaw. "What strange names… And Dreamweaver? What does that mean?"

"What is wrong with my name?" Shyla growled. "It is what my mother named me! And what about your name! Graypaw? You are a more silver color! Shouldn't you be named Silver?"

"Graypaw… Please stop trying to pick a fight," groaned Lionheart. "Now is not the time!"

"Shyla… Please calm down," Dreamweaver said, sounding tired. "If you two want to argue about the differences between the naming conventions of clans versus Knights versus Shifters, you can do that some other time… With you on the fence so you are not in their territory!"

"Now Rusty," Bluestar began. "You are curious for a little kittypet… I have noticed that you have been sitting on that fence looking over ThunderClan's land…"

"Oh…" Rusty muttered, his tail curling up between his hind legs. "You saw that… Sorry, it just that I had heard all of the rumors about the cats living in the woods… And I was curious if they were true because… Well… Some of them seemed… Silly!"

"We do not eat the bones of our enemies nor do we line our nest with fur," Bitterclaw stated firmly, her head held high. "We eat prey like mice, squirrels, birds, or voles… And we bury the bones afterwards… As for what we sleep on, it's not furs. Moss and feathers are so much softer. As for how Bluestar found out, well, I don't know exactly, but I can make a guess… One of our duties as warriors is to patrol all borders… And while most warriors would let you go, there are warriors that we try to kill you…"

"Enough Bitterclaw!" Bluestar snapped. "You don't need to scare him!"

"But it is the truth… Mother!" Bitterclaw answered back with a shout. "I don't know what you are planning, but it will not go the way that you are thinking! There is no way that ThunderClan would accept a kittypet!"

"What?!" screeched Dreamweaver, Algar, and Shyla at the same time.

Rusty stood there, shocked into silence. Disbelief danced across his eye as his jaw dropped.

_"__It is me?" _Rusty mentally shouted. _"They want me… In their clan? Why?"_

Rusty then remembered his dreams of running in the forest, of feeling the wind in his short fur, feeling the dirt between his claws and felt hope blossom in his heart.

_"__Could this be what I have always wanted?"_ Rusty wondered. _"A place where I could be accepted for who I am, where I could gain respect… Where cats would treat me like a cat and not like an illness or corruption of their way of life... But… What about Shyla and Algar? What about Dreamweaver? I… I need to think about this…"_

"So Rusty," began Bluestar as she stared at Rusty. "Would you like to join ThunderClan?"

"But Bluestar!" Graypaw protested. "He has no warrior blood! There is no way he could be a warrior!"

"Rusty no!" cried out Shyla, wrapping her tail around his hind legs. "Please don't go! I can't watch you get killed! I don't want to lose another family member right in front of my eyes."

Rusty felt guilty as Shyla turned towards Bluestar with a snarl in her throat. Algar joined her, glaring at the clan cats. Dreamweaver, on the other paw, was furious.

"What did you say?" he hissed, stepping forward and unsheathing his claws. "How dare you! After everything you have done…"

"What is the matter Dreamweaver?" Rusty asked, concerned about the pure hate dripping from his uncle. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I am not mad at you, Rusty," Dreamweaver growled. "Though I am a bit concerned about the fact that you have been wanting to wander into the forest… You are more like your grandmother than you think… But I am enraged that those stupid wild cats think that they have the right to ask something like that! Forcing you to leave behind all others who would care for you!"

"Leave behind others that care for me?" Rusty echoed, slightly confused. "What do you mean?"

"Just what is your problem?" Bluestar questioned. "This isn't your choice… And are you sure him is a part your family? You don't look anything like him… So, why are you questioning anything?"

"It doesn't matter if I don't look like him!" Dreamweaver snapped back. "Unlike you clan cats, blood doesn't matter to us. Blood doesn't always determine family. Relationships cause families."

"Anyways," Bluestar continued, ignoring Dreamweaver. "I can see that you have some skills. You seem different from a normal kittypet. We can take you into ThunderClan and make you an apprentice. You will be treated just like any other apprentice and have a chance. You would learn how to fight and how to hunt. However, there is a price…"

"Oh course there is!" Dreamweaver interrupted, lashing his tail. "You would have to give up a lot to join! And it would not just be your life as a kittypet… You would have to give up anyone from that life… Your family and any friends."

_"__What? That can't be true!"_ Rusty mentally shouted. _"Would that mean that I could never see Smudge again? My mother and Princess. Dreamweaver and Michael. All the cats that I hold close to my heart: would I have to choose between them? And what about my twolegs? Could I see them sometimes? Just because I don't wish to be a kittypet doesn't mean I hate them. I'm just not the cat for them: but I will always be thankful for their temporary protection and love."_

"The Warrior Code states that you can have friends from other clans," Lionheart mewed serious. "But… You have to be loyal to the Clan. Loyalty to the clan comes above all others."

"Also, you would have to leave your life as kittypet," Bluestar added on. "Either you come to live with the clan, or you will not join at all. You cannot live a life with a paw in both worlds."

"That is insane!" cried out Algar. "You are expecting him to join your group without giving him any in return? Are you guys some sort of cult?"

"He would gain the loyalty of ThunderClan and be respected as a warrior," Lionheart stated calmly. "And if he reaches the age of an elder, the rest of clan will take care of him in his old age."

"So?" Shyla answered as her curled her lips back. "That means nothing to us! You are trying to take my cousin away from us!"

"If I do go with you," Rusty slowly asked, looking up. "Would Shyla, Algar, and Dreamweaver be allowed in too?"

"No, this is only for you and you alone, Rusty," Bluestar replied with a shake of her head. "But… Think of things this way… You will be able to remain a tom…"

"Remain a tom?" echoed Rusty. "You mean… The Cutter? I mean… I have heard that cats have changed after visiting the Cutter…"

"Oh, you mean the Vet!" chirped Shyla. "That are not that bad… They help the Knights by making us stronger, healthy than many of the other cats."

"You go to the Cutter?" Graypaw stated as he looked down at them. "And you say that you are not kittypets? Only mousebrains think that is okay! We ThunderClan cats don't need nor want twolegs in our lives!"

"Bluestar," Bitterclaw hissed loudly. "This isn't going to work! Never mind what Tigerclaw and the rest of the clan will think! What about the other clans are going to think? RiverClan has claimed SunningRocks and ShadowClan is…"

"Enough Bitterclaw!" Bluestar snapped, turning towards her. "Please do not speak about our troubles in front of outsiders… And it doesn't matter what the other clans think. We will just prove that ThunderClan is as strong as ever. That we have not been weakened during the long leaf-bare."

"But Bluestar, remember Code 15 of the Warrior Code?" Bitterclaw growled back. "That a warrior must reject the life of a kittypet… Could I kittypet even do that? Can he even leave behind the twolegs? Would he be able to leave behind the soft, easy life? Or would he leave after everything gets rough? He cannot be trusted to stay!"

"Why must you always question me?" Bluestar said, her patience finally running out. "I am the leader. My word is law! Stop being so stubborn!"

Before either of the mollies spoke, Dreamweaver began to laugh. Everyone faced him, confused by his actions.

_"__Dreamweaver, what is up with you?" _Rusty pondered, very puzzled. _"You seemed so angry before… Why are you laughing?"_

After a few heartbeats, the gray tabby tom finished and pointed his tail towards Bitterclaw.

"You know what, you're not bad for a clan cat!" Dreamweaver started, grinning at her. "You are the only one that is looking at the reality of the situation! From what I understand, clan cats are all about blood purity! If you are not of 'pure' blood, then the clan will not accept you… And… Let's not get into what happens to half-clan cats!"

"Half-clan cats?" Rusty inquired. "What does that mean?"

"I am not sure," Algar replied. "But… For what Sir Dreamweaver is saying… It sounds like it can get you in trouble…"

"It is serious," Graypaw responded, hearing their conversation. "Because it means that the parents of those cats broke the Warrior Code. A half-clan cat is a cat whose parents belong to different clans…"

"And that is bad how?" Shyla questioned, glaring at him.

"It is because the parents decided to not pick a mate from within their own clan," Dreamweaver hissed. "Therefore, they dared to pollute each clans' 'holy' bloodlines… It's sickening to think about."

"But wait…" Algar whispered. "Wouldn't that cause problems with their cats? Cause the destruction of the clans?"

"And what happens to the half-clan cats and their parents?" Shyla added in. "Surely they wouldn't kill them!"

"Yes, it would," Dreamweaver answered. "It causes fewer kits to be born and with health problems. As for what happens to them, well, they don't kill them, but they might as well have. It doesn't matter if the half-clan cats are young kittens, they throw them out. Calling them half-clan rats and other disgusting names… Either the parents nor the kits are welcome…"

"Just what are you talking about," said Bluestar, giving Dreamweaver a weird look. "Why would we do something like that? Yes… The parents deserve to be punished in some way… But the kits don't need to be punished… And, why are you even commenting on this? You know nothing about us!"

"We know more than what you think!" answered Algar, shocking Rusty with his boldness. "After all… Who ends up helping the innocents that you end up attacking? Who has to keep track of everything, making sure that you… You ferals, haven't passed any diseases to kittypets!"

"Wow…" Shyla groaned as she rolled her eyes. "Someone has been paying attention when the Judgement members have come over…"

"At least I was listening!" Algar protested. "It's important to know this stuff! You never know what kinds of situations you could end up in!"

As Shyla and Algar argued, Dreamweaver sighed as he spun around towards Rusty after giving the clan cats a glare.

"Listen Rusty," Dreamweaver began, looking like he wanted to shut down, go to sleep, and forget everything that had happened. "It is your choice… But I am afraid of what will happen to us should you join this clan. I fear for your life… Becoming feral in that way… Well, you will always be judged for being a former kittypet… There is a real chance that you will never be accepted… And none of us, not me, not Michael, not Shyla nor Algar would be welcome. If we even tried to visit you, we would be chased out…"

"And we love you, Rusty," Shyla sniffed sadly. "We don't want you to get hurt again!"

"And… Everything that molly was saying that was good about her clan," Algar stated. "I think that most of that is true of the Knights! You will belong to a community that will accept you. We will be able to remain a tom. And should you live long enough to grow old, we will take care of you."

"However, you will not have to be separated from family," added Dreamweaver. "As you know, both I and your Aunt Rose are Knights and Shyla is a Page… So we would there to help you… And both Shyla and Algar would be training with you. And you could go and visit your mother and your kind sister, Princess. And, should you want to, you could visit your twolegs. After all, they would miss you."

"Also, you and your future kits, should you have any, will be healthier!" added Algar. "For one, early on in your training, you will be taken to the Vet, not to lose something, but to gain something. The Vet will place something under the skin between your shoulders… And that is how the twolegs will be able to track us! If one of us end up caught and taken to a place where twolegs can get cats… Then we can be freed once they find out that we are Knights!"

"Er… How do the twolegs know that you are a part of the Knights," Rusty had to ask, very perplexed. "How does that work?"

"You are all mousebrains!" Graypaw stated with a snort. "Twolegs never are helpful! They just cause problems. Letting their dogs run through our territory, trying to chase us…"

"Quiet, Graypaw," mewed Lionheart. "However, he has a point. Twolegs just end up causing problems and there is no way to communicate to them."

"We have our way," Dreamweaver answered. "The Vet will also be able to help if you get hurt and will keep you healthy… And, er…. I don't really know what goes on… All I know is that the thing that they put under your skin somehow gives them all the information that they need… Twolegs can be weird…"

"Why are you even talking about twolegs?" Bluestar protested. "They are not important to this! Rusty… I need to know your answer soon. Will you join ThunderClan?"

_"__I don't know… Now that I think about it…" _Rusty thought, his heart breaking at the choice in front of him. _"While I have always wanted to run through the forest and catch a mouse, it is worth it if I am just going to be treated badly just because I was a former kittypet… I got enough grief from all of the kittypets growing up… Is blood truly that important to the clans? And if that is the case… Why even give me a chance? I have a bad feeling about this…"_

"If you can't decide right now," Bluestar stated. "Then take the rest of the night to think about it… And if you decide to join, come here around sunhigh. Someone will be waiting for you. Lionheart and Graypaw, let's go."

Dreamweaver dug his claws into the ground as he fought to control his fury while both Shyla and Algar were worriedly whispering with each other. That was when Rusty made his decision.

"Don't bother to send anyone out," called out Rusty to the leaving clan cats. "I'm not coming… I will not be back. I'm sorry for getting on your territory."

Rusty noticed that Bluestar stopped in place, tail fluffed up. When she turned her head toward him, he noticed that her eyes were shocked. She looked like she was going to say something when Bitterclaw spoke out.

"Good for you," Bitterclaw mewed. "It is better to know what you want kittypet than to be stuck in a situation where someone would hate you."

"But why?" Bluestar questioned. "Why would you give up this chance to leave your kittypet and become a better cat? Do you want to be soft and lazy for the rest of your life?"

"No, I going to join my family," answered Rusty, turning to face Dreamweaver, Shyla, and Algar. "I am going to be a Knight."

"Really? That is great!" Shyla exclaimed happily. "Now, we can be true brother-in-arms!"

"Just be careful," Algar groaned. "My sisters are going to go crazy when meeting you…"

However, it was Dreamweaver's reaction that made Rusty's heart warm with satisfaction. He smiled and gave him a nod. Then, as a group, they all leapt onto the fence, to return to Rusty's yard, leaving the wild cats stunned behind them.

_"__While a part of me will wonder if I made the correct decision," _Rusty thought. _"By not joining ThunderClan… But, I don't want to be judged for something that I cannot control… And I don't feel like being a kittypet for the rest of my life… I want to travel around… I want to see all what life has to offer… So… I will become a Knight! I will learn to protect others like me!"_

* * *

**WindClan Allegiances**

_Leader: _Tallstar- Black and white tuxedo tom with amber eyes.

_Deputy: _Deadfoot- Black tom with a twisted front, left paw, and green eyes.

_Medicine cat: _Barkface- Dark brown tom with a short tail and amber eyes.

_Warriors: _Stagleap- Dark brown tom with amber eyes.

Doespring- Light brown molly with green eyes.

Ryestalk- Gray tabby molly with amber eyes.

Pigeonfur- Dark gray tom with white patches and amber eyes.

Sorrelstalk- Gray and brown molly with pale amber eyes.

Rabbitrunner- Pale brown molly with a white belly and yellow eyes.

Apprentice: Runningpaw

Flyfur- White tom with amber eyes.

Bristletail- Black tom with amber eyes.

Wrenflight- Brown molly with green eyes.

Sunheart- Pale ginger tom with amber eyes.

Shinestep- Pale gray molly with lighter paws and blue eyes.

Moorstripe-Pale golden tabby molly with amber eyes.

Wheatfur- Pale ginger tom with green eyes.

Tornear- Gray tabby tom with blue eyes.

Mudclaw- Mottled dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Apprentice: Webpaw

Quickstep- Gray and white tom with blue eyes.

Moorstripe-Pale golden tabby molly with amber eyes.

Flowerheart- Tortoiseshell molly with small ginger patches and green eyes.

Hardstone- Pale ginger tom with paler stripes and blue eyes.

Shadewing- Black molly with green eyes.

Buzzardtail- Black tom with amber eyes.

Onewhisker- Mottled light brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Apprentice: Whitepaw

Thrustwing- Pale gray molly with amber eyes.

_Apprentices:_ Whitepaw- White molly with blue eyes.

Webpaw- Dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes.

Runningpaw- Light gray tabby molly with pale blue eyes.

_Queens and Kits:_ Ashfoot- Gray molly with blue eyes. (Mother of Deadfoot's kits)

Eaglekit- Gray tom with amber eyes.

Dovekit- Gray molly with green eyes.

Morningflower- Tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes. (Mother to Cloudrunner's kits)

Gorsekit- Brown tabby tom with green eyes.

Storkkit- Tortoiseshell molly with ginger patches and icy blue eyes.

Quailkit- Gray and white molly with green eyes.

Softwhisker- Pale brown tabby and white molly with blue eyes. (Expecting Sunheart's kits)

_Elders: _Larksplash- Tortoiseshell and white molly with pale blue eyes.

Cloudrunner- Pale gray tom with blue eyes.

Crowfur- Black tom with amber eyes.

Darkeyes- Black molly with amber eyes.


End file.
